Selected nutritional values of field cricket (<em>Gryllus assimilis</em>) and its possible use as a human food

Abstract

The nutritional values of the field cricket (<em>Gryllus assimilis</em> (Fabricius, 1775)) were analysed for dry matter using infrared scales, crude protein using Kjeldahl method, fat by Soxhlet method and fatty acid composition using GC-MS. The average dry matter content of analysed insect was 22.6 %, content of crude protein was 55.6 %, fat content was 11.8 %. The analysis of the fatty acid profile shows that the most abundant fatty acids were C18:2, C16:0 and C18:1 and the atherogenic index was 0.55. Microbial analyses were also part of the research, with evaluation of the total content of bacteria (3.3.10⁶ CFU g^-1), coli form bacteria (3.5.10⁴ CFU g^-1) and lactic acid bacteria (5.8.10⁶ CFU g^‑1) and of yeasts and moulds (4.4.10⁵ CFU g^‑1). For the high content of lipids and proteins edible insects could be a good alternative future source of crude protein and fat. EFSA also deals with obtaining sufficient data about the nutritional value and safety of consuming edible insects.