Acceptability and sensory evaluation of energy bars and protein bars enriched with edible insect

Abstract

For consumers, one of the basic criteria of choosing a foodstuff, apart from nutritional values, is their taste and smell. In edible insect as a novel food, these criteria are not quite decisive. The main criterion in the Western countries is the acceptability of the food. This work deals with sensory evaluation of protein and energy bars, enriched with cricket flour from American and Czech producers, and their acceptability for consumers from the Czech Republic. The sensory evaluation was done using the questionnaire survey and a simple electronic nose. The survey has shown that edible insect bars are acceptable as a new type of food for consumers in the Czech Republic. Best rated by consumers were orange and pineapple flavour bars from the Czech manufacturer. Statistically significant difference was not detected between evaluation of the bars from the American and Czech manufacturers. Also, the difference between the bars of different flavours from the Czech producer was evaluated using a simple machine - a portable electronic nose. There was not a statistically significant difference between bars of different flavours from the American manufacturer. The positive contribution of the survey is that more than 80% of consumers are willing to consume food enriched with edible insect. This fact shows a change in public attitude to these foods.