Detection of Acheta domesticus by real-time PCR in food and feed

Edible insects are rich in protein and can serve as a significant source of vitamins and minerals. The house cricket (Acheta domesticus) stands out as one of the most nutritious edible insects. In various parts of the world, crickets are consumed roasted, baked, fried, boiled and in the form of cricket flour, a powder of dried and ground crickets. In Europe, processed animal proteins derived from eight insect species (including A. domesticus) have received authorization for use in fish, pig and poultry feed. Therefore, the development of a method for detecting house crickets is essential to verify product compliance and provide accurate labelling information to the end user. In this study, we have established a real-time PCR assay for the specific detection of house crickets. This method is based on the amplification of a mitochondrial fragment that codes for cytochrome b. We assessed its specificity by testing it against 39 other insect species, 7 plant species and 31 other animal species. Furthermore, we successfully evaluated the amplification efficiency, sensitivity, robustness, applicability on commercial samples and transferability to a second laboratory.