Anotace:
Edible insects are increasingly explored as alternative protein sources for the feed and food industry due to their potential for sustainable, high-quality protein production. The use of a powdered form of an insect in a ready-to-eat food can increase the willingness to consume insects. This study evaluates the chemical composition, colour, texture and sensory properties of sausages with the addition of cricket powder (3%, 6%, and 12% of cricket powder). The addition of cricket powder significantly increased the protein content of the sausages (p < 0.05). As the addition of cricket powder increased, the sausages became darker both on the surface and on the cut (p < 0.05). The textural properties were not affected by the addition of cricket powder (p > 0.05). For sensory descriptors, sausages without cricket powder scored the highest, and the scores decreased as the amount of cricket powder increased (p < 0.05) except odour where no significant differences were found (p < 0.05). The results showed that cricket powder can be used at lower levels in meat products without affecting sensory quality.