The influence of grasshopper (Schistocerca gregaria) powder enrichment on bread nutritional and sensorial properties

The world is facing an impending food crisis by 2050, and insects are a possible sustainable and nutritional solution for this problem. As a result, ways of integrating them into common foods are investigated. The objective of this study is to examine the rheological properties, nutritional value and sensorial quality of bread enriched with 100, 200 g/kg grasshopper powder (GP) and 200 g/kg defatted grasshopper powder (DGP). GP contains 350 g/kg protein and 130 g/kg fat and has higher water and oil holding capacity values compared to wheat flour. The addition of GP decreased the specific volume of grasshopper-based bread and resulted in softer texture. Moreover, the inclusion of 200 g/kg GP to the bread recipe increased the protein content by up to 60%. Sensory panel scored 100 g/kg enriched grasshopper bread similarly to wheat bread, while bread enriched with 200 g/kg received a lower score mainly due to its distinctive odor. According to the results, GP may serve as a supplement bread up to 100 g/kg without alterations in sensorial aspects.