Microbiological and parasitological risk analysis of novel food sources obtained with the use of insects

• Nadezhda V. Tyshko
• Kseniya A. Timoshenko

Abstract

The problem of food safety being an important component of the country’s food security, provides not only for continuous improvement of the methodology of hygienic standardization, but also for the formation of requirements for novel food, in particular, those obtained from non-traditional sources. The accumulated practical and theoretical competence in the food hygiene area, as well as knowledge of current trends of the food base broadening, allow us to analyze the risks associated with novel food obtained of insects.

The purpose of the research was to analyze the microbiological and parasitological risk of novel food sources obtained with the use of insects, suggest the effective risk management measures.

Material and methods. The analytical part of the work included literature search, collection of information and statistical materials published in domestic and foreign scientific editions. The search was carried out using the Google Academy retrieval system and electronic databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, eLIBRARY), mainly in the last 25 years, using the keywords: Hermetia illucens, Tenebrio molitor, Acheta domesticus, insects, parasite, nematode, pathogen, cysts.

Results. Based on the published materials’ analysis, a systematization of microbiological and parasitological factors potentially capable of colonizing edible insects has been carried out. There were identified representatives of 24 groups of pathogenic and 18 opportunistic microorganisms and helminths related to microbial and parasitic pathogens, the spread of which is significantly influenced by inappropriate conditions of feeding and keeping insects. As there are currently no veterinary requirements for insect breeding and farming conditions, contamination of end products with infectious and parasitic pathogens can vary over a very wide range.

Conclusion. The use of native insect biomass carries certain risks associated with its microbial and parasitic contamination, and the development of measures to prevent them requires significant resources. The possibility of deep processing of such raw materials can be considered as one of the solutions to mitigate these risks. For use in the food industry, insects should be subjected to processing similar to that currently used for soybean seeds, which includes separation of protein (entomoprotein), fat and chitin fractions, each of which would have an independent use. Thus, at present, insects should be considered as a source of novel food ingredients, first of all, complete protein of animal origin.

Keywords:hygienic standardization; novel food obtained with the use of insects; microbiological safety indicators; parasitic safety indicators; Hermetia illucens; Tenebrio molitor; Acheta domesticus; insects; parasite; nematode; pathogen

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