Nutritional value and advances of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) as a sustainable functional ingredient in bakery products: A key step toward sustainable diets
Bakery products are most popular and widely accepted carrier of energy and nutrient in the human daily diet. However, their nutritional quality poses many challenges to achieving balanced diet. Reformulating bakery products to make them healthier could therefore have significant benefits. In recent...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-12-01
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| Series: | Future Foods |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666833525001753 |
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| author | Guoqiang Zhang Yuanhui Wang Zhangcheng Liang Jingyin Guo Bin Wu |
| author_facet | Guoqiang Zhang Yuanhui Wang Zhangcheng Liang Jingyin Guo Bin Wu |
| author_sort | Guoqiang Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bakery products are most popular and widely accepted carrier of energy and nutrient in the human daily diet. However, their nutritional quality poses many challenges to achieving balanced diet. Reformulating bakery products to make them healthier could therefore have significant benefits. In recent year, mealworm (MW), Tenebrio molitor, one of the approved edible insects, has gained much attention as promising sustainable functional ingredient, since its high nutritional value and environmental benefits. Therefore, incorporation of MW into bakery products confers interesting opportunities to reformulate bakery products, making them more affordable, sustainable, and healthier. This review aims to provide overview of the nutritional value of MW and conclude current advances in its potential as a functional ingredient in bakery product development. MW is rich source of protein (29.20 % - 64.34 %, w/w), oil (14.875 – 39.60 %, w/w), and minerals, and has been used as wheat flour substitution in various bakery products. Additionally, its incorporation in bakery products improve their nutritional quality, but alter the physical and sensory properties of the final products. Overall, spreading in-depth knowledge can guide further studies on the reformulation of bakery products with MW, thereby meeting with consumers’ expectations and further reducing the distance between the consumers and products. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6fb017a39e68462d9869774e4bc85d50 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2666-8335 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Future Foods |
| spelling | doaj-art-6fb017a39e68462d9869774e4bc85d502025-08-20T02:40:50ZengElsevierFuture Foods2666-83352025-12-011210071610.1016/j.fufo.2025.100716Nutritional value and advances of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) as a sustainable functional ingredient in bakery products: A key step toward sustainable dietsGuoqiang Zhang0Yuanhui Wang1Zhangcheng Liang2Jingyin Guo3Bin Wu4School of Science, Coventry University, Coventry, UK; Institute of Agro-Products Storage and Processing, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Urumqi 830091, China; Corresponding author at: School of Science, Coventry University, Coventry, UK.College of Food Science and Engineering, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China; Henan Province Wheat-Flour Staple Food Engineering Technology Research Centre, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, ChinaInstitute of Food Science and Technology, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou, Fujian, ChinaCollege of Food and Bioengineering, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, Henan 471023, ChinaInstitute of Agro-Products Storage and Processing, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Urumqi 830091, ChinaBakery products are most popular and widely accepted carrier of energy and nutrient in the human daily diet. However, their nutritional quality poses many challenges to achieving balanced diet. Reformulating bakery products to make them healthier could therefore have significant benefits. In recent year, mealworm (MW), Tenebrio molitor, one of the approved edible insects, has gained much attention as promising sustainable functional ingredient, since its high nutritional value and environmental benefits. Therefore, incorporation of MW into bakery products confers interesting opportunities to reformulate bakery products, making them more affordable, sustainable, and healthier. This review aims to provide overview of the nutritional value of MW and conclude current advances in its potential as a functional ingredient in bakery product development. MW is rich source of protein (29.20 % - 64.34 %, w/w), oil (14.875 – 39.60 %, w/w), and minerals, and has been used as wheat flour substitution in various bakery products. Additionally, its incorporation in bakery products improve their nutritional quality, but alter the physical and sensory properties of the final products. Overall, spreading in-depth knowledge can guide further studies on the reformulation of bakery products with MW, thereby meeting with consumers’ expectations and further reducing the distance between the consumers and products.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666833525001753Composited productsEdible insectsFood securitySustainable ingredientSustainabilityWheat flour replacer |
| spellingShingle | Guoqiang Zhang Yuanhui Wang Zhangcheng Liang Jingyin Guo Bin Wu Nutritional value and advances of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) as a sustainable functional ingredient in bakery products: A key step toward sustainable diets Future Foods Composited products Edible insects Food security Sustainable ingredient Sustainability Wheat flour replacer |
| title | Nutritional value and advances of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) as a sustainable functional ingredient in bakery products: A key step toward sustainable diets |
| title_full | Nutritional value and advances of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) as a sustainable functional ingredient in bakery products: A key step toward sustainable diets |
| title_fullStr | Nutritional value and advances of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) as a sustainable functional ingredient in bakery products: A key step toward sustainable diets |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nutritional value and advances of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) as a sustainable functional ingredient in bakery products: A key step toward sustainable diets |
| title_short | Nutritional value and advances of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) as a sustainable functional ingredient in bakery products: A key step toward sustainable diets |
| title_sort | nutritional value and advances of mealworm tenebrio molitor as a sustainable functional ingredient in bakery products a key step toward sustainable diets |
| topic | Composited products Edible insects Food security Sustainable ingredient Sustainability Wheat flour replacer |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666833525001753 |
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