Affordable Processing of Edible Orthopterans Provides a Highly Nutritive Source of Food Ingredients

Edible orthopterans (grasshoppers, crickets, and locusts) are major delicacies, especially across sub-Saharan Africa. Their promotion as food ingredients is increasingly gaining momentum. This study evaluates the nutritional profiles of three widely consumed orthopterans: Gryllus bimaculatus, Locusta migratoria, and Schistocerca gregaria after blanching and oven-drying. All three species had high protein (65.3, 54.2, and 61.4% on a dry matter (DM) basis for G. bimaculatus, L. migratoria, and S. gregaria, respectively) and fat contents. Oleic (22.9–40.8%) and palmitic (26.1–43.0%) were the two most abundant fatty acids. All essential amino acids (in mg/100 g protein) were present, with glutamic acid (120–131), alanine (90.2–123), and leucine (82.3–84.6) being the most abundant. The minerals (in mg/100 g dry matter) potassium (796–1309) and phosphorus (697–968) were moderately high, and iron (4.60–7.31), zinc (12.7–24.9), manganese (0.40–7.15), and copper (1.20–4.86) were also observed in the samples. Vitamin B(12) contents were high (0.22–1.35 µg/100 g dry matter). Our findings demonstrate that the excellent nutritional profile of the three processed insects could serve as promising alternative ingredients for improving food and nutritional security.