The flavour of edible insects: A comprehensive review on volatile compounds and their analytical assessment

Background Sensory properties are essential in introducing a new food since they largely determine consumer acceptance. In previous years, edible insects were the focus of attention of many studies due to their relatively recent incorporation in the Western human diet. Expanding the analysis and understanding of flavour compounds facilitates food product design and compiling the available information can help further advances in this area. Scope and approach Analytical methods applied to determine volatile compounds in edible insect samples are reviewed, and a comprehensive overview of the volatile compounds identified is provided. A total of 406 compounds were found (see ST1), classified into different chemical families: linear hydrocarbons, aromatic and cyclic hydrocarbons, aldehydes, ketones, esters, alcohols, carboxylic acids, pyrazines, other nitrogenous compounds, sulphur compounds, phenols, terpenes and furans. In addition, those compounds that were reported by more than one author are presented in more detailed tables. Key findings and conclusions Significant variability of volatile compounds has been observed among species, and a clear influence of processing on the development of the final aroma profile was established. A higher content of lipid oxidation compounds was noted after drying treatments, as well as a higher number of Maillard and Strecker pathway compounds after roasting. Particular techniques such as defatting or fermentation could be applied to remove or reduce unpleasant odours typical for some insects. Given the complexity of the study, this review may be helpful for further research on the characterisation and improvement of edible insect flavour.