Effect of cricket protein powders on dough functionality and bread quality

Background and ObjectivesThe enrichment of foods with insect proteins has gained interest; however, more research is needed to understand how different insect protein functionalities impact food systems. The objective of this study was to understand the effect of cricket protein powder on mixing, pasting, and dough development characteristics of bread dough and on the end-product characteristics of bread. FindingsTwo different cricket protein powders, GrioPro (G) and Entomo Farms euro, were tested. MixoLab constant and optimized water absorption protocols were used to study the effect of cricket protein powder replacement on dough development. Dough extensibility was tested using the Kieffer Rig protocol. Breads were baked with 5%, 10%, or 20% replacement levels of cricket protein powder. Loaf volume was measured, and bread slices underwent texture profile analysis (TPA) at 0, 1, 3, and 7 days. In general, the incorporation of powders G and E led to two opposite effects. Use of powder G led to an increased stability and significantly higher C1 torque (20% level) while powder E led to softer doughs with a decreased stability at the 20% replacement level and no significant difference in water absorption. ConclusionsExtensibility and loaf volume significantly decreased as the replacement level increased for all treatments. TPA results showed a significant increase in hardness at higher replacement levels with G being harder than E. It is feasible to enrich bread with cricket protein powders at low incorporation levels. Significance and NoveltyResults show how differing functional properties of cricket protein powders impact their interactions within the gluten network and in turn affect the quality of bread produced.