Emerging Technologies in Processing of Edible Insects: Innovations in Safety Assurance and Quality Enhancement of...

The rise in the global population and increased awareness of sustainable protein sources have led to a surge in the expansion of edible insects. Edible insects are an eco-friendly, protein-rich substitute for conventional animal proteins. However, the wide acceptance of edible insects remains limited due to numerous concerns about food safety, shelf-life stability, and consumer acceptability. This review explores recent technological advancements in insect processing that address these critical challenges. Novel and advanced food processing approaches such as high-pressure processing, pulsed electric field, cold plasma, and ultrasonication have demonstrated potential to enhance microbial safety, improve physicochemical properties, and increase nutrient bioavailability. In addition, these innovative processing strategies have shown a positive effect on extending the shelf life of insect-based products. These processing methods positively influence sensory attributes by altering the techno-functional properties of insects and improving the texture of edible insect-enriched products, ultimately enhancing consumer perception. These innovative methods offer promising pathways to transform edible insects into safe, shelf-stable, and sensory-acceptable insect-enriched food products. The review also focuses on the current challenges and outlines future research directions needed to scale up processing technologies and improve market acceptance of insect-based food products.