An innovative strategy to more accurately quantify protein content in insect flours

Scientific poster prepared by Geneviève Pellerin, PhD student, under the supervision of Alain Doyen.

Edible insects, such as crickets (A. domesticus, G. sigillatus) and mealworms (T. molitor), represent a sustainable source of protein. Crude protein content is generally estimated by multiplying total nitrogen by a conversion factor (Kp), but the chitin in the exoskeleton can lead to overestimation. This study aims to calculate insect flour–specific nitrogen-to-protein conversion factors for crickets and mealworms using two recognized definitions (Kp and KA), to evaluate the impact of common thermal treatments on these factors, and to determine the true protein content of insect flours using the specific KA values.

To learn more about the research that inspired this poster:
genevieve.pellerin.3@ulaval.ca

For industry inquiries:
ssi@inaf.ulaval.ca