Impact of cricket (Acheta domesticus) flour in dry-fermented sausage production: volatile profile, microbiological, sensory, compositional, physicochemical and technological aspects

Abstract

This study explored the effects of replacing pork meat with 5, 10 and 15% cricket (Acheta domesticus) flour in Spanish dry-fermented sausages (salchichón). Four formulations (control, AD5, AD10, AD15) were assessed for their nutritional composition, fatty acid profile, volatile compounds, physicochemical properties (pH and water activity), technological parameters (instrumental colour and texture), typical microbiota and sensory attributes. Results showed that increasing cricket flour replacement in the sausages lowered the fat content and elevated moisture, protein and fibre contents (p ≤ 0.05) without affecting microbial counts (lactic acid bacteria and Gram-positive catalase-positive cocci), pH and water activity. Cricket flour improved the volatile profile, particularly enhancing carbohydrate fermentation and amino acid degradation volatiles, while significantly reducing lipid oxidation-derived compounds (p ≤ 0.05), suggesting potential antioxidant properties. Slight decreases and increases were observed in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, respectively, especially at the highest substitution levels (p ≤ 0.05). Instrumental colour analysis indicated a decrease in lightness and redness in sausages with higher cricket flour levels, resulting in a darker and brownish colour (p < 0.001). Texture analysis revealed higher hardness and chewiness with increased cricket flour, especially in the AD15 formulation (p ≤ 0.05). Sensory evaluations showed that a 5% meat substitution by cricket flour yielded a product acceptability similar to the control with no differences in the evaluated attributes, while higher levels were less preferred in terms of colour, texture, taste, acceptability and overall preference (p = 0.01). These findings indicate that cricket flour could be used as a novel ingredient for dry-fermented sausages, especially at a 5% substitution level, potentially offering a promising balance between sustainability, innovation, product quality and consumer acceptance. Higher replacement levels provide a foundation for refining processing methods or incorporating functional additives to enhance palatability. © Joaquín Navarro del Hierro et al., 2025 Published with license by Koninklijke Brill BV