INSECT PRODUCTS AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE AND USE THEREOF

• US 20150132433A1
• Filed: 11/11/2014
• Published: 05/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aaron T. Dossey
• Original Assignee: Aaron T. Dossey
• Inventors: Dossey, Aaron T.
• Granted Patent: US 11,337,451 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/2
• CPC Class Codes: A23J 3/227 Meat-like textured foods meat extenders A23L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 10/00 Animal feeding-stuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 29/275 of animal origin, e.g. chitin
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/00 Preservation of foods or foodstuffs, in general, e.g. pasteurising, sterilising, specially adapted for foods or foodstuffs preserving foods or foodstuffs in association with packaging B65B55/00
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/40 by drying or kilning; Subsequent reconstitution
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 35/00 Food or foodstuffs not provided for in groups A23L5/00 – A23L33/00; Preparation or treatment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs

Abstract

Methods for producing insect product are provided that include wet-grinding at least one whole insect into an insect slurry and drying the insect slurry to form a dried insect product comprising solid insect matter particles. Methods for producing a chitin product are also provided that include wet-grinding at least one whole insect into an insect slurry and removing chitin from at least a portion of the insect slurry. Insect products are also provided that include a composition derived from at least one whole insect and has solid insect matter particles, in which the composition has a peroxide value of about 30 meq/kg of fat or less and about 90% of the solid insect matter particles, by volume, has a particle size of about 1000 μm or less.

Claims

1. A method for producing insect product, the method comprising:

wet-grinding at least one whole unwashed insect, at least one whole adult insect, or at least one whole live insect into an insect slurry; and

drying the insect slurry to form a dried insect product comprising solid insect matter particles.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein about 90% of the solid insect matter particles, by volume, has a particle size of about 1000 μ

m or less.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein about 90% of the solid insect matter particles, by volume, has a particle size of about 100 μ

m or less.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the solid insect matter particles are present in the dried insect product in an amount from about 85% to about 100% by weight of the dried insect product.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of drying comprises heat drying, spray drying, freeze drying, tray drying, air drying, vacuum drying, drum drying, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the dried insect product has a water activity of about 0.5 aw or less.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising milling the solid insect matter particles of the dried insect product.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein about 90% of the milled solid insect matter particles, by volume, has a particle size of about 100 μ

m or less.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering the dried insect product.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising preserving the dried insect product prior to the step of filtering.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising preserving the dried insect product after the step of filtering.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing chitin from at least a portion of the insect slurry prior to the step of drying.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising preserving the insect slurry prior to the step of removing the chitin.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising preserving the insect slurry between the step of removing the chitin and the step of drying.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing chitin from at least a portion of the dried insect product.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising preserving the at least one whole unwashed insect, the at least one whole adult insect, or the at least one whole live insect prior to the step of wet-grinding.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of wet-grinding comprises two separate grinding steps, wherein the first grinding step is a coarse wet-grinding and the second grinding step is a fine wet-grinding.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising reconstituting the dried insect product into a liquid form to produce a liquid insect product.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising preserving the insect slurry prior to the step of drying.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising reconstituting the dried insect product into a liquid form to produce a liquid insect product.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of preserving comprises pasteurizing, sterilization, acidification, pressure, vacuum, cooking, heat treating, low heat storage, pickling, blanching, steaming, boiling, or a combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of wet-grinding comprises two separate grinding steps, wherein the first grinding step is a coarse wet-grinding and the second grinding step is a fine wet-grinding.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of preserving the insect slurry occurs between the coarse wet-grinding and the fine wet-grinding.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising reconstituting the dried insect product into a liquid form to produce a liquid insect product.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising preserving the dried insect product.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of preserving comprises pasteurizing, sterilization, acidification, pressure, vacuum, cooking, heat treating, low heat storage, pickling, blanching, steaming, boiling, or a combination thereof.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising two separate preservation steps, wherein at least one preservation step occurs prior to the step of wet-grinding.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein at least one of the two preservation steps euthanizes the at least one whole insect.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising two separate preservation steps, wherein at least one preservation step occurs between the step of wet-grinding and the step of drying.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of wet-grinding comprises two separate grinding steps, wherein the first grinding step is a coarse wet-grinding and the second grinding step is a fine wet-grinding.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising two separate preservation steps, wherein at least one preservation step occurs prior to the step of drying.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising reconstituting the dried insect product into a liquid form to produce a liquid insect product.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising two separate preservation steps, wherein at least one preservation step occurs between the coarse wet-grinding and the fine wet-grinding.

34. The method of claim 1, further comprising euthanizing the at least one whole unwashed insect, the at least one whole adult insect, or the at least one whole live insect prior to the step of wet-grinding.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the step of euthanizing comprises freezing, fumigating, soaking in liquid, smashing, suffocating with CO₂ or N₂ atmosphere, applying electric current, heating, or cooking the at least one whole insect.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one whole unwashed insect, the at least one whole adult insect, or the at least one whole live insect is a superworm, cricket, mealworm, Caribbean fruit fly, black soldier fly, grasshopper, locust, katydid, silkworm, or caterpillar.

37. The method of claim 1, further comprising reconstituting the dried insect product into a liquid form to produce a liquid insect product.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising processing the liquid insect product into the form of a paste or a solid.

39. An insect product prepared by the method of claim 1.

40. A method for producing insect product, the method comprising:

wet-grinding at least one whole insect into an insect slurry; and

drying the insect slurry to form a dried insect product comprising solid insect matter particles, wherein drying comprises spray drying or drum drying.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein about 90% of the solid insect matter particles, by volume, has a particle size of about 1000 μ

m or less.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein about 90% of the solid insect matter particles, by volume, has a particle size of about 100 μ

m or less.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein the solid insect matter particles are present in the dried insect product in an amount from about 85% to about 100% by weight of the dried insect product.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein the dried insect product has a water activity of about 0.5 aw or less.

45. The method of claim 40, further comprising milling the solid insect matter particles of the dried insect product.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein about 90% of the milled solid insect matter particles, by volume, has a particle size of about 100 μ

m or less.

47. The method of claim 40, further comprising filtering the dried insect product.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising preserving the dried insect product prior to the step of filtering.

49. The method of claim 47, further comprising preserving the dried insect product after the step of filtering.

50. The method of claim 40, further comprising removing chitin from at least a portion of the insect slurry prior to the step of drying.

51. The method of claim 50, further comprising preserving the insect slurry prior to the step of removing the chitin.

52. The method of claim 50, further comprising preserving the insect slurry between the step of removing the chitin and the step of drying.

53. The method of claim 40, further comprising removing chitin from at least a portion of the dried insect product.

54. The method of claim 40, further comprising preserving the at least one whole insect prior to the step of wet-grinding.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the step of wet-grinding comprises two separate grinding steps, wherein the first grinding step is a coarse wet-grinding and the second grinding step is a fine wet-grinding.

56. The method of claim 54, further comprising reconstituting the dried insect product into a liquid form to produce a liquid insect product.

57. The method of claim 40, further comprising preserving the insect slurry prior to the step of drying.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising reconstituting the dried insect product into a liquid form to produce a liquid insect product.

59. The method of claim 57, wherein the step of preserving comprises pasteurizing, sterilization, acidification, pressure, vacuum, cooking, heat treating, low heat storage, pickling, blanching, steaming, boiling, or a combination thereof.

60. The method of claim 57, wherein the step of wet-grinding comprises two separate grinding steps, wherein the first grinding step is a coarse wet-grinding and the second grinding step is a fine wet-grinding.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein the step of preserving the insect slurry occurs between the coarse wet-grinding and the fine wet-grinding.

62. The method of claim 61, further comprising reconstituting the dried insect product into a liquid form to produce a liquid insect product.

63. The method of claim 40, further comprising preserving the dried insect product.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein the step of preserving comprises pasteurizing, sterilization, acidification, pressure, vacuum, cooking, heat treating, low heat storage, pickling, blanching, steaming, boiling, or a combination thereof.

65. The method of claim 40, further comprising two separate preservation steps, wherein at least one preservation step occurs prior to the step of wet-grinding.

66. The method of claim 65, wherein at least one of the two preservation steps euthanizes the at least one whole insect.

67. The method of claim 40, further comprising two separate preservation steps, wherein at least one preservation step occurs between the step of wet-grinding and the step of drying.

68. The method of claim 40, wherein the step of wet-grinding comprises two separate grinding steps, wherein the first grinding step is a coarse wet-grinding and the second grinding step is a fine wet-grinding.

69. The method of claim 68, further comprising two separate preservation steps, wherein at least one preservation step occurs prior to the step of drying.

70. The method of claim 68, further comprising reconstituting the dried insect product into a liquid form to produce a liquid insect product.

71. The method of claim 68, further comprising two separate preservation steps, wherein at least one preservation step occurs between the coarse wet-grinding and the fine wet-grinding.

72. The method of claim 40, further comprising euthanizing the at least one whole insect prior to the step of wet-grinding.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein the step of euthanizing comprises freezing, fumigating, soaking in liquid, smashing, suffocating with CO₂ or N₂ atmosphere, applying electric current, heating, or cooking the at least one whole insect.

74. The method of claim 40, wherein the at least one whole insect is a superworm, cricket, mealworm, Caribbean fruit fly, black soldier fly, grasshopper, locust, katydid, silkworm, or caterpillar.

75. The method of claim 40, further comprising reconstituting the dried insect product into a liquid form to produce a liquid insect product.

76. The method of claim 75, further comprising processing the liquid insect product into the form of a paste or a solid.

77. An insect product prepared by the method of claim 40.

78. A method for producing a chitin product comprising:

wet-grinding at least one whole insect into an insect slurry; and

removing chitin from at least a portion of the insect slurry.

79. The method of claim 78, further comprising processing the chitin.

80. The method of claim 79, wherein the step of processing comprises preserving the chitin or treating the chitin with an acid, a base, or a solvent.

81. A chitin product prepared by the method of claim 78.

82. An insect product comprising:

a composition derived from at least one whole insect and comprising solid insect matter particles, wherein the composition has a peroxide value of about 30 meq/kg of fat or less and about 90% of the solid insect matter particles, by volume, has a particle size of about 1000 μ

m or less.

83. The insect product of claim 82, wherein the at least one whole insect is a superworm, cricket, mealworm, Caribbean fruit fly, black soldier fly, or grasshopper, locust, katydid, silkworm, or caterpillar.

84. The insect product of claim 82, wherein the composition has a peroxide value of about 1 meq/kg of fat or less.

85. The insect product of claim 82, wherein about 90% of the solid insect matter particles, by volume, has a particle size of about 100 μ

m or less.

86. The insect product of claim 82, wherein about 50% of the solid insect matter particles, by volume, has a particle size of about 200 μ

m or less.

87. The insect product of claim 85, wherein about 50% of the solid insect matter particles, by volume, has a particle size of about 200 μ

m or less.

88. The insect product of claim 82, wherein about 50% of the solid insect matter particles by volume, has a particle size of about 20 μ

m or less.

89. The insect product of claim 85, wherein about 50% of the solid insect matter particles by volume, has a particle size of about 20 μ

m or less.

90. The insect product of claim 82, wherein the composition has a L (lightness) color value of at least 40 as measured on the Hunter L, a, b color scale.

91. The insect product of claim 82, wherein the composition has a L (lightness) color value of at least 70 as measured on the Hunter L, a, b color scale.

92. The insect product of claim 89, wherein the composition has a L (lightness) color value of at least 70 as measured on the Hunter L, a, b color scale and a peroxide value of about 1 meq/kg of fat or less.

93. The insect product of claim 82, wherein the composition comprises protein in an amount of about 50% or more by weight based on dry weight of the composition and fat in an amount of less than about 20% by weight based on the dry weight of the composition.

94. The insect product of claim 92, wherein the composition comprises protein in an amount of about 50% or more by weight based on dry weight of the composition and fat in an amount of less than about 20% by weight based on the dry weight of the composition.

95. The insect product of claim 82, wherein the composition has a water activity of about 0.5 aw or less.

96. The insect product of claim 82, wherein the composition has an average surface oil of about 20% or less.

97. The insect product of claim 82, wherein the composition comprises reduced chitin, wherein at least a portion of chitin has been removed from the composition.

98. The insect product of claim 82, wherein the composition comprises chitin in an amount less than about 20% by weight based on the dry weight of the composition.

99. The insect product of claim 82, wherein the composition has a barnyard complex aroma of about 3 or less.

100. The insect product of claim 82, wherein the composition comprises dietary fiber in an amount of less than about 10% by weight based on the dry weight of the composition.