Mealworm protein - a novel food raw material
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Tebrito AB |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 360 804 |
| Project duration | April 2016 - November 2016 |
| Status | Completed |
Important results from the project
Insect breeding for human consumption is climate-smart, healthy and effective compared to conventional farming. We believe that people will find it easier to accept an insect protein as a neutral food ingredient, instead of eating whole insects. Based on our novel protein raw material extracted from mealworms, we developed a protein-praline. The jury liked it, confirming that our protein powder have the potential to be an attractive product in a large market.
Expected long term effects
We have successfully been able to develop and refine our extraction process for larger volumes. The protein powder with a purity of 82% has many exciting and unique features, well suited for food applications. We have shown that our protein powders are shelf stable, neutral in taste and is ideal as an ingredient in different applications. The project is a major step towards our goal to launch a Swedish climate-friendly protein powder from mealworms.
Approach and implementation
The project has been very successful, from our point of view. During the first part, we refined our extraction process. It gave us the opportunity to successfully extract sufficient quantities of protein concentrate. Sampling was done continuously to ensure quality and food safety, with good results. With the protein powder as an ingredient we developed food prototypes in collaboration with chefs and test kitchens. Of these, a protein praline like our competition entry, as it depends on the form and content can be targeted to different audiences.