THE PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF A COMMERCIAL CRICKET (ACHETA DOMESTICUS) PROTEIN POWDER AS A BASIS FOR ITS USE
IN FOOD PRODUCTS
OLGA DRÄGHICI *, GEORGIANA-DENISA MARCU âLucian Blagaâ University of Sibiu, Department of Agricultural Sciences
and Food Engineering, Dr. I. Ratiu Street, no. 7-9, 550012 Sibiu, Romania
*Corresponding author: olga.draghici@ulbsibiu.ro
The present work investigates the stability over time and the possibility of using commercial cricket (Acheta domesticus) protein powder as an ingredient in various food products. The results indicated that the protein powder is hygroscopic, but it can be kept for 7 months in a package, even if it is unsealed. After one week of storage in an open package, in contact with atmospheric air, the water activity increases from 0.150 to 0.514 and the moisture value increased almost three times. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed that the proteins are completely denatured. The values for water holding capacity increase as the pH of the environment increases between 6 and 8, and the swelling index has higher values for pH between 4 and 6. In the case of liquid products, commercial cricket (Acheta domesticus) protein powder can be add if the liquids have an ionic strength as low as possible and a pH around 4.
