Table 1.
Effect of different treatments on the total aerobic and yeast and molds counts (log cfu/g) of different edible insect species found in Belgium (n = 3; DRC = from Democratic Republic of Congo; EF = from European farms; statistical analyses = one way ANOVAs for each species with 95% confidence interval; F = F statistic; p: significance level; different letters indicate significant differences between treatments). Freeze-dried and smoked insects were bought already processed.
| Insect Sample | Treatment | Total Aerobic Count | Statistical Analyses | Yeasts and Molds | Statistical Analyses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freshly killed mealworm (EF) | no treatment | 8.58 ± 0.07 a | F3,7 = 1538.58; p < 0.001 | 4.70 ± 0.46 a | F3,7 = 23.18; p = 0.005 |
| 1 min blanching | 4.64 ± 0.07 b | < 1.0 ± 0.00 b | |||
| sterilized | 3.34 ± 0.06 c | < 1.0 ± 0.00 b | |||
| Freeze-dried mealworm (EF) | no treatment | 4.47 ± 0.12 b | < 1.0 ± 0.00 b | ||
| Freshly killed house cricket (EF) | no treatment | 7.97 ± 0.10 a | F3,7 = 904.32; p < 0.001 | 4.80 ± 0.29 a | F3,7 = 69.31; p = 0.001 |
| 4 min blanching | 4.39 ± 0.01 b | < 1.0 ± 0.00 b | |||
| Sterilized | 3.74 ± 0.14 c | < 1.0 ± 0.00 b | |||
| Freeze-dried house cricket (EF) | No treatment | 4.05 ± 0.07 bc | < 1.0 ± 0.00 b | ||
| Smoked termite (DRC) | No treatment | 7.48 ± 0.04 a | F1,3 = 365.95; p = 0.003 | 5.62 ± 0.32 a | F1,3 = 632.06; p = 0.002 |
| 1 min blanching | 4.45 ± 0.22 b | < 1.0 ± 0.00 b | |||
| Smoked yellow Bingula caterpillar (DRC) | no treatment | 6.84 ± 0.10 a | F1,3 = 285.33; p = 0.003 | 3.58 ± 0.18 a | F1,3 = 836.18; p = 0.001 |
| 5 min blanching | 3.64 ± 0.25 b | < 1.0 ± 0.00 b | |||
| Smoked Mikwati caterpillar (DRC) | no treatment | 7.63 ± 0.01 a | F1,3 = 1.07; p = 0.410 | 5.67 ± 0.10 a | F1,3 = 6726.25; p < 0.001 |
| 5 min blanching | 7.32 ± 0.43 a | < 1.0 ± 0.00 b |
Bold values indicated significant results.