Tenebrio molitor as a Clean Label Ingredient to Produce Nutritionally Enriched Food Emulsions

Simple Summary Tenebrio molitor flour, a sustainable source of protein and bioactive compounds, was used as a clean label ingredient in order to reformulate a commercial hummus sauce. The impact of different concentrations of insect meal on the sauce rheological properties, texture profile and microstructure were determined. An analysis of the nutritional profile and bioactivity was carried out, namely the total phenolic content (TPC) and the antioxidant capacity (using the DPPH and FRAP methods). A sensory analysis was also performed. At low concentrations (up to 7.5% of T. molitor flour) the structure of the sauce remained practically unchanged. However, for higher levels of T. molitor (10% and 15%), structure parameters such as elastic modulus (G') at 1 Hz of the sauces with 10% and 15% were significantly lower than the commercial sauce, indicating a loss of structure caused by the incorporation of Tenebrio flour. Texture parameters also decreased with higher incorporations of insect meal. The formulation with 7.5% T. molitor flour showed the highest concentration of TPC and of antioxidant capacity, significantly increased protein content and more minerals compared to the standard. Although the improvement in nutritional quality was noticed, sensory analysis showed reluctance from the consumer towards these new products. Tenebrio molitor flour, a sustainable source of protein and bioactive compounds, was used as a clean label ingredient in order to reformulate a commercial hummus sauce, replacing egg yolk and modified starch, improving its nutritional quality. For this purpose, the impact of different concentrations of insect flour on the sauce was studied. Rheology properties, texture profile analysis, and the microstructure of the sauces were analyzed. Nutritional profile analysis was carried out, as well as bioactivity, namely the total phenolic content and the antioxidant capacity. Sensory analysis was conducted to determine the consumer's acceptance. At low concentrations (up to 7.5% of T. molitor flour) the sauce structure remained practically unchanged. However, for higher additions of T. molitor (10% and 15%), a loss of firmness, adhesiveness and viscosity was observed. Structure parameters such as elastic modulus (G') at 1 Hz of the sauces with 10% and 15% were significantly lower than the commercial sauce, indicating a loss of structure caused by Tenebrio flour incorporation. Although the formulation with 7.5% T. molitor flour was not the best rated in the sensory analysis, it showed a higher antioxidant capacity compared to the commercial standard. In addition, this formulation also presented the highest concentration in total phenolic compounds (16.25 mg GAE/g) and significantly increased the content of proteins (from 4.25% to 7.97%) and some minerals, compared to the standard.