Researchers Cook Up “Meat-Like” Seasoning from Mealworms

Researchers Cook Up “Meat-Like” Seasoning from Mealworms by Melissa Sue Sorrells,meatingplace.com

animal protein, as well as the associated environmental issues,” said In Hee Cho, the project’s principal investigator, in a news release. “Insect farming requires just a fraction of the land, water and feed in comparison wang University. The researchers presented to the traditional livestock farming.” their novel insect-based flavoring powder at Some companies are trying to change the American Chemical Society’s fall people’s minds about eating bugs like mealmeeting. worms, in the form of crunchy, salty snacks. “Recently, eating insects has become of “However, edible insects are not universally interest because of the increasing cost of accepted in our food cultures due to their repellent appearance and unique flavor characteristics,” Cho said. FOR SALE Insects are a nutritious food source with high amounts of fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, fiber and high-quality protein, so making them a regular part of our diet would be good for consumers and good for the planet, according to the Wonkwang UniCATTLE versity research team. Cho said that to get more people to regularly eat mealworms, a sneaky approach — like hiding them in savory seasonings — might be an effective way to change GUARDS JERYL PRIDDY 325/754-4300 Cell: 325/977-0769 consumers’ minds. To that end, the team explored how cooking mealworm powder different ways produces different flavor profiles that might make the insects more enticing to eat. For example, steamed mealworms developed strong sweet corn-like aromas, whereas roasted and deep-fried versions had shrimplike attributes. Based on these results, the team suspected that additional meaty flavors could be produced if the mealworms were heated with sugar. Ultimately, their goal was to create a “meaty” flavor that would be satisfying and familiar to consumers. The team tested different manufacturing conditions and ratios of powdered mealworm and sugars, producing multiple versions of the seasoning. A panel of volunteers tried the samples, and the researchers optimized the seasoning based on their feedback before coming to the final powder. The researchers said they hope that these results will lead to the commercial development of meat-like flavorings made from mealworms that could be added to conve nience foods. ▫ -

Mealworms cooked in sugar may be the perfect meaty seasoning — and a sustainable way to feed the ever-growing population, according to a team of scientists from South Korea’s Wonk-

ALL SIZES SALE EVERY TUESDAY 11 AM

Bill Martin: 970-302-5834 Clay Paige: 806-679-5883 Office: 806-677-0777