Food and HumanityPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2025-12-29DOI: 10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100986
Nanae Tanemura, Daisuke Takata
{"title":"Level of support for deregulation of radiocesium standards in foods based on consumption","authors":"Nanae Tanemura, Daisuke Takata","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100986","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100986","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011 had a profound impact on Japanese society. In response, the Japanese government implemented radiocesium safety standards in April 2012. However, there have been increasing calls to revise these standards based on actual intake levels. This study investigated the level of support for deregulation of radiocesium standards in foods based on consumption after participants were provided with information indicating comparative risks in addition to a general explanation of the both hazard and exposure risks in foods, leading to increased social acceptance and decreased anxiety. Analyzed by region, significant differences were observed in Group A (p = .004) and Group E (p = .040), which had higher consumption and lower risk perception regarding food compared with other groups. In Group A, the mean score for mushrooms (M = 2.92, SD = 0.99) was slightly lower than that for rice (M = 3.00, SD = 1.02) and vegetables (M = 2.97, SD = 0.99). In Group E, the mean score for mushrooms (M = 3.01, SD = 0.92) was slightly lower than that for rice (M = 3.05, SD = 0.92). Notably, there were no significant differences regarding the risk of fruits and beans compared with mushrooms, indicating that support for deregulation is relatively high when the risk is low based on daily consumption. Therefore, future risk communication requires not only scientific accuracy but also continuous efforts to build consensus building by tailoring explanation methods to each region’s level of understanding and risk perception.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100986"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Smart food safety in dairy production: Enose technologies with digital traceability systems – A review","authors":"Ranganathan Akimsha , Tharaga Sharmilan , Dakshika Wanniarachchi","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100991","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100991","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Ensuring food safety and maintaining product quality in dairy production remains a major challenge, particularly due to the high perishability of milk-based products and increasing consumer demand for transparency. Globally, approximately 14 % of food is lost during production, underlining the urgent need for smarter monitoring systems. The integration of Electronic Nose (E-Nose) technology with digital traceability systems offers a novel, real-time approach to automate quality assessment and enhance food safety protocols.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and Approach</h3><div>This review critically examines the technological foundations, applications, and integration pathways of E-Nose systems with digital traceability frameworks in the dairy industry. Emphasis is placed on sensor types, machine learning algorithms for pattern recognition, and the role of Internet of Things (IoT), cloud platforms, and blockchain in enabling end-to-end monitoring. Cross-sectoral insights and real-world case studies are also reviewed to contextualize dairy-specific adaptations.</div></div><div><h3>Key Findings</h3><div>Integrated E-Nose systems demonstrate strong potential in real-time quality evaluation, including milk adulteration detection, microbial spoilage monitoring, and cheese ripening control. Metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) sensors are the most widely used due to their cost-efficiency and robustness, while Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) and Conductive Polymer (CP) sensors offer higher sensitivity for specific applications. Advanced algorithms such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Support Vector Machines (SVM), and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) enhance classification accuracy. IoT connectivity and cloud-based analytics further support automated alerts, traceability, and predictive quality control.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The fusion of E-Nose technology with digital traceability systems marks a transformative step toward smart food safety in dairy production. Despite challenges such as sensor drift, environmental sensitivity, and cost barriers for small-scale producers, technological advancements and Industry 4.0 frameworks offer promising solutions. Strategic policy support, hybrid sensor fusion, and AI-driven data analytics are critical for future scalability and regulatory compliance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100991"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885103","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food and HumanityPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101044
H.A. Dyahyuningtyas , F.S. Aurum , M.F. Karimy , E. Damayanti , V.T. Rosyida , N. Ndraha , N. Fitrianto , T.H. Siregar , D. Dwiyitno , P. Pourazad , F. Penagos-Tabares , S. Aditya
{"title":"Untargeted metabolomics reveals higher contaminant occurrences in mixed-grains of dairy cow feedstuff during wet season of tropical climate zone","authors":"H.A. Dyahyuningtyas , F.S. Aurum , M.F. Karimy , E. Damayanti , V.T. Rosyida , N. Ndraha , N. Fitrianto , T.H. Siregar , D. Dwiyitno , P. Pourazad , F. Penagos-Tabares , S. Aditya","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101044","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101044","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To support milk production and quality, high-yielding dairy cows are normally fed using mixed-grains from nutritious sources. However, the contamination of those typical feeds often occurs along with the alteration of the season, including temperature and humidity changes. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare natural biotoxin and other contaminants in mixed-grains of dairy cow’s foodstuff between wet and dry seasons of tropical climate zone using untargeted metabolomic approaches. A total of 40 samples of mixed-grains was divided into two groups; wet (WS; 20) and dry (DS; 20) seasons. Furthermore, data revealed that 321 compounds of mixed grain were identified, whereby 152 compounds showed significant difference between dry and wet seasons (P < 0.05). Data revealed the possible important compounds associated with feed/food safety issues, such as biotoxins and toxicants were more pronounced in mixed-grains during wet season. Higher biological compounds and biotoxins such as actinonin and embelin as well as allopumiliotoxin 267 A and aflatoxin were pointed under wet season (P < 0.05), respectively. Toxicants, like dodecylamine, caprolactam, crotetamide, azidamfenicol, and tridemorph showed significantly stronger in WS group compared to their counterparts (P < 0.05). Data suggests that a stronger alteration associated with potential toxin profiles of mixed-grains was noticeable in wet season compared to dry season, which could adversely affect on feed and food safety parameters. The wet season was found to pose a greater risk to feed-food safety compared to the dry season.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 101044"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food and HumanityPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101057
Ali Bin Thani
{"title":"Culture-independent PacBio sequencing reveals the microbiome in unpasteurized local milk samples","authors":"Ali Bin Thani","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101057","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101057","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The microbial composition of milk has a direct influence on the production of dairy products. Microorganisms aid in the fermentation of milk, producing lactate, which in turn impacts the sensory, texture, flavor, and overall qualities of the final products. However, microorganisms can also negatively affect milk quality and shelf life. Moreover, the microbial makeup of milk can pose health risks, as consuming unpasteurized milk contaminated with pathogens can sometimes lead to severe illness. In this study, we report the results of the bacterial content and pathogenic isolates on pooled unpasteurized milk samples from cows, goats, and camels using metagenomic sequencing. The three sample types examined in this study exhibited clear differences in microbial diversity, each dominated by distinct species. The unpasteurized cow milk sample was dominated by <em>Anoxybacillus flavithermus</em> (86.5 %), while unpasteurized goat milk showed high proportions of <em>Staphylococcus epidermidis</em> (20.2 %). In unpasteurized camel milk, <em>Acinetobacter junii</em> (19.7 %) and <em>Citrobacter freundii</em> (14.9 %) were the most abundant species. Control samples represented by pasteurized cow milk contained <em>Aeromonas caviae</em> (20.2 %), whereas probiotic Laban was dominated by Streptococcus <em>thermophilus</em> (42.4 %). The pasteurized sample exhibited the greatest species richness, with 97 taxa identified. These results demonstrate substantial differences in microbial composition between unpasteurized and processed milk, highlighting the effect of source and treatment on bacterial diversity. Additionally, the research highlights antibiotic resistance in livestock and emphasizes the need for regulatory monitoring of antibiotic usage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 101057"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173354","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food and HumanityPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-01-28DOI: 10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101046
Hilary Kwesi Ketemepi , Rossita Shapawi , Wan Aida Wan Mustapha , Abdul Aziz Jaziri , Nor Qhairul Izzreen Mohd Noor
{"title":"Systematic review of non-volatile and volatile compounds in mushrooms and analytical identification","authors":"Hilary Kwesi Ketemepi , Rossita Shapawi , Wan Aida Wan Mustapha , Abdul Aziz Jaziri , Nor Qhairul Izzreen Mohd Noor","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101046","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101046","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mushrooms are renowned for their nutritive value and bioactive compounds, which have potential applications in food, nutraceutical, agricultural, and cosmetic industries. This review focuses on the non-volatile and volatile compounds found in mushrooms. It also highlights the analytical techniques utilized for their identification, drawing on peer-reviewed articles published between 2014 and 2023. Literature search was conducted using the Scopus and ScienceDirect databases in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. These two databases were chosen because they represent a significant overlap and comprehensive coverage of high-quality scientific literature in the fields of food science, nutrition, and biotechnology. Non-volatile compounds in mushrooms contribute to bioactivities, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant effects, while volatile compounds define their flavour and aroma, and may also have pharmacological roles. Owing to advances in analytical procedures involving chromatographic and spectrometric techniques, such as high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and solid-phase microextraction, the identification and characterization of mushroom compounds have been enhanced. Hence, the complex chemical makeup and functional properties of mushroom compounds are now better understood. However, further investigations are required to elucidate the modes of action of these bioactive compounds and explore their potential synergistic effects to enhance their therapeutic and functional benefits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 101046"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146173355","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food and HumanityPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2025-12-12DOI: 10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100966
Tanuja Bisht , Pradeep Singh Negi
{"title":"Mushroom by-products as ingredients for food applications: A review of health and sustainability benefits","authors":"Tanuja Bisht , Pradeep Singh Negi","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100966","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100966","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mushrooms are renowned for their nutritional and therapeutic potential, playing a crucial role globally in the culinary and pharmaceutical industries since ancient times. However, increasing production and consumption of mushrooms have also led to a rise in mushroom waste, which includes deformed mushrooms, caps, stems, and spent mushroom substrate (SMS) that contains bioactive compounds having nutraceutical and therapeutic properties. Despite having multiple health benefits, these by-products have traditionally been considered waste. Hence, incorporating them into food formulations will reduce waste, promote sustainability, and enhance the nutritional value of formulated foods. The online databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, online market research, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus, were screened using keywords such as caps, stems, spent mushroom substrate, mycelium, and off-grade mushrooms. This review outlines a comprehensive analysis of the nutritional composition, extraction methods, and bioactivity of mushroom by-products, as well as their applications as functional ingredients in various food products. The review highlights the potential of mushroom by-products to enhance food system resilience, improve public health, and reduce agro-industrial waste. The novelty of this review lies in integrating the compositional, nutritional, and environmental perspectives of mushroom waste valorization. Additionally, utilizing mushroom waste aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by supporting waste reduction while promoting the emerging global trend towards a circular economy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100966"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145791980","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food and HumanityPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2025-12-11DOI: 10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100963
Macdalyna Esther Ronie , Asep Awaludin Prihanto , Ahmad Hazim Abdul Aziz , Mohd Sani Sarjadi , Ruzaidi Azli Mohd Mokhtar , Nicky Rahmana Putra , Mohd Sabrie Salim , Mohd Khairi Zainol , Hasmadi Mamat
{"title":"Rice bran oil extraction via supercritical fluids: Composition diversity, process fundamentals, and emerging challenges","authors":"Macdalyna Esther Ronie , Asep Awaludin Prihanto , Ahmad Hazim Abdul Aziz , Mohd Sani Sarjadi , Ruzaidi Azli Mohd Mokhtar , Nicky Rahmana Putra , Mohd Sabrie Salim , Mohd Khairi Zainol , Hasmadi Mamat","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100963","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100963","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the continuous growth of the global population and the increasing demand for staple foods, rice production is expected to expand, resulting in more extensive rice processing activities and, consequently, greater generation of by-products such as rice bran (RB). Rice bran oil (RBO), extracted from RB, is highly valued for its favourable fatty acid profile and diverse bioactive compounds, positioning it among the healthiest edible oils. The composition of RBO, particularly its fatty acid profile, is influenced by several factors, including rice variety, geographical origin, climate conditions, and processing methods. Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), particularly using carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>), has emerged as a green and efficient approach for RBO extraction. This technique offers notable advantages over conventional methods by preserving heat-sensitive bioactive compounds, improving oil quality, and minimising environmental impact. Several parameters are critical in determining the efficiency of SFE, with reported ranges in the literature including temperature (40 – 80 °C), pressure (25 – 50 MPa), CO<sub>2</sub> flow rate (0.01 – 1.0 L/min), co-solvent concentration (0.4 – 30 %), particle size (14–1670 µm), and extraction time (30 – 120 min). Pre-treatment techniques, such as drying, germination and enzymatic treatment, can facilitate oil release from the bran matrix and enhance the recovery of nutritionally valuable compounds. The potential of SFE to support sustainable RBO production underscores this review, which focuses on the compositional, technological, and strategic aspects of RBO extraction, with particular emphasis on its role in advancing zero-waste initiatives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100963"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145792007","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food and HumanityPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-01-16DOI: 10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101032
Soledad Quezada Berru , Elza Aguirre , Maykabeth W. García-Siu , John O. Arias-Nuñuvero , Any Córdova-Chang , Gilbert Rodríguez , Eudes Villanueva
{"title":"Nutritional and functional properties of defatted avocado (Persea americana) pulp cake and its application in the manufacture of cookies.","authors":"Soledad Quezada Berru , Elza Aguirre , Maykabeth W. García-Siu , John O. Arias-Nuñuvero , Any Córdova-Chang , Gilbert Rodríguez , Eudes Villanueva","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101032","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.101032","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluated the use of defatted avocado pulp cake, a by-product of oil extraction, as an ingredient in cookie formulations. The avocado cake showed valuable contents of protein (6.13 %), dietary fiber (7.80 %), and essential minerals (calcium, magnesium, and iron). Additionally, it exhibited notable antioxidant capacity (42.58 % DPPH inhibition) and a high chlorophyll content (19.46 µg/g). The incorporation of avocado cake into cookie formulations significantly affected texture and color; higher concentrations increased hardness and chewiness, reduced lightness, and enhanced green-yellowish tones. Sensory evaluation revealed that formulations containing 10–15 % avocado cake achieved the best balance between nutritional value, bioactivity, and consumer acceptability. Notably, cookies with 15 % avocado cake showed a significant improvement compared to the control (p < 0.05), including higher protein content (7.11 g/100 g), fiber (2.23 %), and phenolic compounds (6.82 mg GAE/100 g), as well as enhanced antioxidant capacity (66 % DPPH inhibition). This formulation also extended the product’s shelf life from 10.5 to 16.5 days, representing a key advantage for commercial application. The results confirmed that defatted avocado cake can be effectively used to enhance the nutritional, functional, and stability properties of baked products like cookies, while also promoting the sustainable utilization of by-products from the avocado oil industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 101032"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146022929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Tracing PFAS from the environment to the food chain: Human health impacts, in vivo toxicological insights, and detection approaches","authors":"Shivani Dimri , Bhawna Bisht , Mikhail S. Vlaskin , Anna Kurbatova , Krishna Kumar Jaiswal , Vishal Rajput , Rohit Sharma , P.K. Chauhan , Vinod Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100982","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2025.100982","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of synthetic chemicals widely used in various industrial and consumer applications and food packaging, owing to thermal stability, durability, and oleophobic properties. However, these same properties contributes in making them persistent environmental contaminants. This review paper highlights the key pathways by which PFAS enter the food chain, including contaminated water, soil, crops, food packaging, and its bioaccumulation in aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Human exposure to PFAS via these routes has resulted in adverse health effects, including endocrine disruption, immunotoxicity, developmental delays, and specific organ damage. <em>In vivo</em> studies have demonstrated the toxicological effects of PFAS in animals, highlighting their ability to induce harmful effects in humans and interfere with metabolic processes. The review also deliberates emerging methods used to detect PFAS in the environment and the human body, which are crucial for risk assessment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100982"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food and HumanityPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-01-05DOI: 10.1016/j.foohum.2026.100998
Willian Zarpelon , Sarah Winck de Almeida , Lucas Cavagnoli Marcolin , Diego Santiago Tupuna-Yerovi , Bárbara Biduski , Valmor Ziegler , Rochele Cassanta Rossi
{"title":"Application of enriched dough mix with cricket powder in bakery products: Nutritional, microbiological, and sensory evaluation","authors":"Willian Zarpelon , Sarah Winck de Almeida , Lucas Cavagnoli Marcolin , Diego Santiago Tupuna-Yerovi , Bárbara Biduski , Valmor Ziegler , Rochele Cassanta Rossi","doi":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.100998","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foohum.2026.100998","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Growing interest in sustainable, nutrient-rich ingredients has increased the popularity of edible insects as promising alternatives in food production. Cricket powder provides high-quality protein and essential amino acids, enhancing the nutritional and functional properties of wheat-based products. This study aimed to create a dough mix enriched with cricket powder and to examine its physicochemical properties (including the amino acid profile and pasting properties), microbiological safety, and sensory evaluation across three products: bread, pizza dough, and homemade pasta. 15 % of cricket powder was added to the dough mix. The products were evaluated by an untrained sensory panel using a nine-point hedonic scale to rate color, aroma, texture, flavor, overall acceptance, and the acceptability index. Cricket powder contained 70 % protein and higher levels of several essential amino acids compared to wheat flour. The cricket-dough mix contained 23.76 % protein and showed improved pasting quality and structural strength compared to wheat-only dough. Sensory results indicated acceptability indices above 80 % for all attributes and products, with pizza dough scoring the highest at 86.33 %. All formulations received strong consumer approval. Incorporating cricket powder into wheat-based doughs boosts their nutritional value without sacrificing technological performance or sensory appeal. The adaptable composite flour proved suitable for various uses. This research supports the use of cricket powder as a sustainable protein source that enhances nutritional quality while maintaining consumer interest. Its successful addition to popular foods highlights its potential in the bakery and cereal sectors and promotes environmentally friendly food systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100543,"journal":{"name":"Food and Humanity","volume":"6 ","pages":"Article 100998"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}