가공 형태에 따른 식용곤충의 이화학적 특성 및 미생물학적 안전성 평가

초록

An increasing interest in edible insects has made their microbial quality of significant interest. In this study, the physicochemical characteristics and microbial safety of Tenebrio molitor larvae (mealworms; frozen, dried, full-fat powder, and defatted powder) and Protaetia brevitarsis larvae (dried) were investigated on the basis of their processing forms. Regardless of the processing step, all samples showed a neutral pH ranging from 6.56 to 7.03. Except for frozen mealworms (a: 0.97), all processed samples maintained low aw values between 0.12 and 0.23. Microbial analysis revealed that the frozen mealworms exhibited the highest contamination levels across all aerobic bacteria, coliforms, yeasts, and molds; however, processing significantly (P<0.05) reduced the populations of the indicator microorganisms. Evaluation of foodborne pathogens revealed that, regardless of processing, no significant differences (P>0.05) in contamination levels were observed among the mealworm samples. In contrast, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus were detected at 4.99 and 3.63 log CFU/g, respectively, in dried P. brevitarsis larvae, with significantly (P<0.05) higher populations than those in the mealworm samples; this indicates residual contamination in the processed products. These findings demonstrate that hygiene management is vulnerable throughout the production chain, from raw materials to the final processing steps. Therefore, these results highlight the necessity for standardized processing technologies and microbial safety assessments to prevent foodborne illnesses and ensure the safe utilization of edible insects.

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