Development of a GC-FID method for quantitative characterisation of polyglycerols in polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) present in a lipid matrix.

PGPR is an emulsifier (E476) widely used in the food industry. In this study, a gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) method was developed for the quantitative characterisation of the polyglycerol composition of PGPR. The method was validated to analyse quantitatively the polyglycerol species in neat PGPR products and in PGPR samples present in a lipid matrix. This method consists of saponification, acidification and petroleum ether extraction to remove interfering fatty acids, neutralisation, silylation and finally GC-FID analysis. Phenyl ß-D-glucopyranoside was used as internal standard as sorbitol proved unsuitable due to its susceptibility to interference from Na/K chloride during silylation. The response factors of glycerol and diglycerol towards phenyl ß-D-glucopyranoside were determined using pure standards, while response factors of polyglycerols with a degree of polymerisation of at least 3 could be reliably estimated according to an effective carbon number (ECN) approach. The validity of the method applied to PGPR samples was further supported on the basis of a mass balance considering the experimentally determined polyglycerol and fatty acid content. Moreover, recoveries of di-, tri-, tetra- and pentaglycerol were more than 95% for various PGPR samples added to two different lipid matrices at 2 wt% and 5 wt% concentrations. Furthermore, the method proved to be very repeatable (with relative standard deviation values below 2.2%). On the other hand, the inevitable presence of glycerol in the lipid samples caused fouling of the detector and column overloading, requiring frequent cleaning of the detector and trimming off part of the column.

Nutritional quality of the traditionally cooked Zamnè, a wild legume and a delicacy in Burkina Faso: assessment of the process effectiveness and the properties of cooking alkalis.

Zamnè is a wild legume and a famine food that attracts interest for its health benefits and has become a delicacy in Burkina Faso. This study aimed to determine the nutritional quality of the traditionally cooked Zamnè, appreciate the effectiveness of the traditional cooking process, and compare the properties of the traditionally used cooking alkalis (i.e., potash or plant ash leachate and sodium bicarbonate). Yet, as shown, the traditional cooking of Zamnè is a very aggressive process that results in high disintegration of cell walls and membranes and leaching of most water-soluble constituents and nutrients (i.e., free amino acids, soluble nitrogen, sugars, soluble dietary fibers, and soluble phenolics). In addition, the extensive boiling and the cooking alkalis induced the sequestration of calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc, significantly impairing their bioaccessibility. Despite the difference in the modus operandi of the cooking alkalis, there was no significant difference in the cooking outcomes. The traditionally cooked Zamnè presented high dietary protein (4.8 g), lipid (3.3 g), fiber (6.7-7.7 g), and metabolizable energy (63-65 kcal) contents (per 100 g fresh weight). Most antinutritional factors (i.e., non-protein nitrogen, tannins, and trypsin inhibitors) were eliminated. The proteins were relatively well preserved despite the aggressive alkaline processing. They demonstrated an appreciable digestibility (75%) and predicted PER (1.5) and a fairly balanced essential amino acid composition - which should completely meet the requirements for adults. The lipid content and composition were also well preserved and contained predominantly linoleic (C18:2n-6), oleic (C18:1c9), stearic (C18:0), and palmitic (C16:0) acids (33, 34, 10, and 15% total fatty acids, respectively). Overall, though extensive alkaline cooking seems a straightforward option to overcome the hard-to-cook problem of Zamnè, processing alternatives might be useful to reduce nutrient losses, improve the digestibility of the final product, and capture its full nutritional value.

Impact of Pretreatment and Drying Factors on Chemical and Biochemical Attributes of Moroccan Thompson Seedless Grapes.

Drying is a common technique in the agrifood industry, but insufficient control in the drying process can result in changes to the fruit's appearance due to physiological damage during processing. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of pretreatment and drying process parameters on Moroccan raisins' quality and safety. The experimental levels of pretreatment factors (blanching, browning agents) and drying temperature were defined at the beginning. Subsequently, a 24-factorial design was employed to provide a simple and reliable model capable of relating directly the response factor (drying time, color intensity change (E∗), chromaticity (C∗), and browning rate) to the variables (NaOH concentration, antibrowning agent concentration, temperature, and relative humidity). All four parameters had a statistically considerable effect on studied responses. Blanching for 5 minutes at 1% of NaOH solution, using an appropriate concentration of antibrowning agent (5% Na2S2O5), and drying at 70°C with 30% of relative moisture can lead to better preservation of grapes' appearance and quality (chromaticity (C∗) and color change (E∗)). Also, in these conditions, a lower browning rate (14.48%), a lower 5-hydroxymethylfurfural content (12.40 mg/100 g DW), and a higher level of polyphenols (135.79 ± 13.17 mg GAE/100 g DW) and flavonoid content (57.81 ± 3.08 mg Qeq/100 g DW) have been recorded while meeting international standards for SO2 content and microbial quality.

Impact of Nonthermal Plasma on Lipid Oxidation from the Perspective of Plasma Treatment Parameters and Plasma Species: Identification of Key Reactive Species.

Nonthermal plasma is a mild processing technology for food preservation. Its impact on lipid oxidation was investigated in this study. Stripped methylesters were considered as a basic lipid model system and were treated by a multihollow surface dielectric barrier discharge. In dry air plasma, O3, ·NO2, ·NO3, and 1O2 were identified as the main reactive species reaching the sample surface. Treatment time was the most prominent parameter affecting lipid oxidation, followed by the (specific) power input and the plasma-sample distance. In humid air plasma, less O3 was detected, but ONOOH and O2NOOH were generated and presumed to play a role in lipid oxidation. Ozone mainly resulted in the formation of carbonyl substances via the trioxolane pathway, while reactive nitrogen species (i.e., ·NO2, ·NO3, ONOOH, and O2NOOH) led to the formation of hydroperoxides. The impact of short-living radicals (e.g., ·O, ·N, ·OH, and ·OOH) was restricted in general, since they dissipated too fast to reach the sample.·NO, HNO3, H2O2, and UV radiation did not induce lipid oxidation. All the reactive species identified in this study were associated with the presence of O2 in the input gas.

Analytics and applications of polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR)-Current research progress.

Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) is a synthetic food additive containing a complex mixture of various esters. In recent years, there has been a growing trend to use PGPR-stabilized water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions to replace fat in order to produce low-calorie food products. In this respect, it is essential to comprehensively characterize the PGPR molecular species composition, which might enable to reduce its required amount in emulsions and foods based on a better understanding of the structure-activity relationship. This review presents the recent research progress on the characterization and quantitative analysis of PGPR. The influencing factors of the emulsifying ability of PGPR in W/O emulsions are further illustrated to provide new insights on the total or partial replacement of PGPR. Moreover, the latest progress on applications of PGPR in food products is described. Current studies have revealed the complex structure of PGPR. Besides, recent research has focused on the quantitative determination of the composition of PGPR and the quantification of the PGPR concentration in foods. However, research on the quantitative determination of the (poly)glycerol composition of PGPR and of the individual molecular species present in PGPR is still limited. Some natural water- or oil-soluble surfactants (e.g., proteins or lecithin) have been proven to enable the partial replacement of PGPR in W/O emulsions. Additionally, water-dispersible phytosterol particles and lecithin have been successfully used as a substitute of PGPR to create stable W/O emulsions.

Characterizing the formation of process contaminants during coffee roasting by multivariate statistical analysis.

Coffee is a relevant source of dietary exposure for neoformed furan, alkyl furans and acrylamide. In this study, different statistical methods (hierarchical cluster analysis, correlation analysis, partial least squares regression analysis) were used for characterizing the formation of these process contaminants in green coffee beans roasted under the same standardized conditions. The results displayed a strong correlation between sucrose levels and furans in relation to the other sugars analyzed, while acrylamide formation was strongly related to the free asparagine. The data suggest that a sufficiently large amino acid pool in green coffee favors Maillard-induced acrylamide formation from asparagine, while reactions amongst the carbonyl-containing sugar fragmentation products leading to furan formation are suppressed. If the pool of free amino acids is small, it is depleted faster during roasting, thus favoring the formation of furans by caramelization, basically a sugar degradation process in which reactive carbonyl substances are generated and react together.

Protein interactions during dry and wet heat pre-treatment of skim milk powder (dispersions) and their effect on the heat stability of recombined filled evaporated milk.

Skim milk powder (SMP) as well as aqueous dispersions were subjected to dry and wet heat pre-treatment, respectively, to improve the heat stability of recombined filled evaporated milk (RFEM) derived therefrom. However, microrheological analysis revealed that prolonged incubation caused detrimental effects on the heat stability of RFEM, which were thought to be due to protein interactions. SDS-PAGE results indicated that protein aggregation via non-disulfide covalent bonds occurred upon long-time dry or wet heat incubation. This was probably related to some Maillard reaction products, which is sustained by the increase in lactulose and protein carbonyl content. Considerable protein aggregation via disulfide bonds in the serum was found upon wet heat incubation at temperatures of at least 80 °C. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the negative effects of overprocessing on the heat stability of RFEM were predominantly related to protein cross-linking via non-disulfide covalent bonds related to protein carbonylation.

Non-Thermal Plasma Decontamination Using a Multi-Hollow Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge: Impact of Food Matrix Composition on Bactericidal Efficacy.

The non-thermal plasma (NTP) treatment of food products as an alternative for thermal processing has been investigated over the last few years. This quasi-neutral gas contains a wide variety of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), which could be lethal for bacterial cells present in the product. However, apart from only targeting bacteria, the RONS will also interact with components present in the food matrix. Therefore, these food components will protect the microorganisms, and the NTP treatment efficiency will decrease. This effect was investigated by supplementing a plain agar medium with various representative food matrix components. After inoculation with Escherichia coli O157:H7 (STEC) MB3885, the plates were treated for 30 s by a multi-hollow surface dielectric barrier discharge (MSDBD) generated in either dry air or air at 75% humidity, at constant power (25.7 ± 1.7 W). Subsequently, the survival of the cells was quantified. It has been found that the addition of casein hydrolysate (7.1 ± 0.2 m%), starch (2.0 m%), or soybean oil (4.6 m%) decreased the inactivation effect significantly. Food products containing these biomolecules might therefore need a more severe NTP treatment. Additionally, with increasing humidity of the plasma input gas, ozone levels decreased, and the bactericidal effect was generally less pronounced.

The nutritional quality of the red mangrove crab (Ucides occidentalis), harvested at two reserves in the Guayas estuary.

Crabs are an outstanding source of many essential nutrients. Little research has been performed on the nutritional quality of the red mangrove crab (Ucides occidentalis). In this research we investigated the proximate composition, fatty acid profile, amino acid composition, and mineral concentrations of red mangrove crabs sampled at two reserves within the Guayas estuary in Ecuador. Furthermore, we evaluated the influence of spatial variation. We found that the red mangrove is a good source of nutrition for a balanced diet and can contribute to the recommended intake of essential nutrients. Also, the red mangrove crab obtained better lipid nutritional quality indices compared to other shellfish species, apart from the EPA + DHA index values. Current research indicated that the final nutritional quality indices of the red crab were not influenced by harvest site. More research into the influence of environmental and ecological factors on the nutritional composition of crabs is suggested.

Authenticity analysis of oregano: development, validation and fitness for use of several food fingerprinting techniques.

Several analytical techniques, i.e. spectroscopic techniques as Near Infrared (NIR) and Mid-Infrared (MIR), Hyper Spectral Imaging (HSI), Gas Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Proton-transfer Reaction Time-of-Flight Mass spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS), combined with chemometrics, are examined to evaluate their potential to solve different food authenticity questions on the case of oregano. In total, 102 oregano samples from one harvest season were analyzed for origin and variety assessment, 159 samples for adulteration-assessment and 72 samples for batch-to-batch control. The Gaussian Process Latent Variable Model (GP-LVM) was applied as technique to obtain a reduced two-dimensional space. A Random Forest Regression algorithm was used as regression model for the adulteration assessment. Prediction rates of more than 89% could be achieved for origin assessment. For variety assessment, prediction rates of more than 78% could be obtained. Batch-to-batch control could be successfully performed with NIR and PTR-TOF-MS. Detection of adulteration could be successfully performed from 10% on with HSI, NIR and PTR-TOF-MS.

Hazard Ratio and Hazard Index as Preliminary Estimators Associated to the Presence of Furans and Alkylfurans in Belgian Foodstuffs.

This paper provides an estimation of the hazard related to the presence of furan and five alkyl furans (2- and 3-methylfuran, 2-ethylfuran, 2,5- and 2,3-dimethylfuran) in foodstuffs available in the Belgian market. To achieve this objective, a specific sampling plan was designed to ensure that the samples collected (n = 1003) represent the diversity of the Belgian food chain. Herein, the concepts of the Hazard Ratio of a sample (HRs) and the Hazard Index of a sample (HIs) were introduced to primarily characterize the hazard related to the co-occurrence of these compounds. The HRs was measured as the ratio of the potential daily exposure to a substance (expressed in mg/Kg of food) to both the 10% reference dose level for chronic effects (expressed in mg/(kg b.w*day)) and the human standard weight (expressed in kg). Whereas the HIs is the sum of the HRs of compounds that affect the same target organ/system, a hazard index greater than one indicates a highly contaminated matrix that could induce a hazard. It is an alarm indicating that additional attention should be given to this matrix. This may involve additional analyses to confirm the high level, to identify sources, etc. It is also an alarm for the risk assessor to be very careful with flagged matrices and to avoid combination with other matrices. The HIs highlight a relatively low concern for all foods analyzed (HI median < 1.0) with a relatively higher suspected hazard for coffee drinks (HI median = 0.068, HI max = 0.57). This preliminary estimation of the potential hazard suggests that coffee beverages should be examined in more detail in a full risk assessment and that coffee consumption should be taken with caution given the levels of furan and alkylfurans reported in this study.

Comparative profiling and exposure assessment of microplastics in differently sized Manila clams from South Korea by µFTIR and Nile Red staining.

The accumulation of microplastics in marine organisms is an emerging concern. Due to trophic transfer, the safety of seafood is under investigation in view of the potential negative effects of microplastics on human health. In this study, market samples of Manila clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) from South Korea were segregated into two groups of considerably different size (p < 0.05), namely small clams with shell length of 40.69 ± 3.97 mm, and large clams of shell length 51.19 ± 2.86 mm. Comparative profiling of the number, size, shape, and polymer type of microplastics were performed using µFTIR imaging and Nile red staining. Overall, µFTIR detected only 1559 microplastics while 1996 microplastics were counted based on staining from 61 Manila clams (30 small and 31 large), leading to an overestimation of 18 to 75 %. Comparable microplastics concentration, based on µFTIR, were observed at 2.70 ± 1.66 MP/g or 15.64 ± 9.25 MP/individual for the small samples, and 3.65 ± 1.59 MP/g or 41.63 ± 16.90 MP/individual for the large ones (p > 0.05). Particle diameters of 20-100 µm was the most dominant, accounting for 44.6 % and 46.5 % of all microplastics from the small and large groups, respectively. Particles, with a circularity (resemblance to a circle) value between 0.6 and 1.0, were the most prevalent, followed by fragments and fibers. At least 50 % of microplastics from the small and large samples were polystyrene, making it the most abundant polymer type. Despite the substantial difference in the size of the animals, only a weak to moderate correlation was observed between microplastics content and the physical attributes of the clams such as shell length and weight, (soft) tissue weight, and total weight (Spearman's coefficient < 0.5). The estimated intake of microplastics by the Korean population was 1232 MP/person/year via small clams, 1663 MP/person/year via large clams, and 1489 MP/person/year via clams independent of size.

Risk Assessment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Smoked Sardinella sp. in Ghana: Impact of an Improved Oven on Public Health Protection.

An improved fish smoking oven called FAO-Thiaroye Technique (FTT) has been introduced in Ghana and other countries in the Global South as a technical intervention for the high levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in traditionally smoked fish produced in those regions. This study evaluated the extent to which the intervention reduces consumer exposure to PAHs (considering benzo(a)pyrene [BaP] as a marker) in smoked fish, using Ghana as a case. Smoked Sardinella sp. were sampled from two traditional ovens (Chorkor smoker and metal drum oven) and the FTT and their PAH levels were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Samples of the product were also purchased from informal markets in three selected regions of Ghana and analyzed for their PAH levels. Cross-sectional consumer surveys were conducted in the selected regions to determine intakes of the commodity. A probabilistic risk assessment of PAH was then done by the margin of exposure (MoE) approach. BaP MoE as low as 1,060 and 752 were obtained for products from the traditional ovens and the informal markets, respectively, whereas the lowest value for FTT products was approximately 161,000. MoE values less than 10,000 were considered to denote a serious public health concern requiring risk management action. Therefore, the findings suggest that there is a potential health concern of high consumer exposure to PAHs in traditionally smoked fish in Ghana, and that the FTT is a technically viable intervention for the problem.

Development of photo-crosslinkable collagen hydrogel building blocks for vascular tissue engineering applications: A superior alternative to methacrylated gelatin?

The present work targets the development of collagen-based hydrogel precursors, functionalized with photo-crosslinkable methacrylamide moieties (COL-MA), for vascular tissue engineering (vTE) applications. The developed materials were physico-chemically characterized in terms of crosslinking kinetics, degree of modification/conversion, swelling behavior, mechanical properties and in vitro cytocompatibility. The collagen derivatives were benchmarked to methacrylamide-modified gelatin (GEL-MA), due to its proven track record in the field of tissue engineering. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper in its kind comparing these two methacrylated biopolymers for vTE applications. For both gelatin and collagen, two derivatives with varying degrees of substitutions (DS) were developed by altering the added amount of methacrylic anhydride (MeAnH). This led to photo-crosslinkable derivatives with a DS of 74 and 96% for collagen, and a DS of 73 and 99% for gelatin. The developed derivatives showed high gel fractions (i.e. 74% and 84%, for the gelatin derivatives; 87 and 83%, for the collagen derivatives) and an excellent crosslinking efficiency. Furthermore, the results indicated that the functionalization of collagen led to hydrogels with tunable mechanical properties (i.e. storage moduli of [4.8-9.4 kPa] for the developed COL-MAs versus [3.9-8.4 kPa] for the developed GEL-MAs) along with superior cell-biomaterial interactions when compared to GEL-MA. Moreover, the developed photo-crosslinkable collagens showed superior mechanical properties compared to extracted native collagen. Therefore, the developed photo-crosslinkable collagens demonstrate great potential as biomaterials for vTE applications.

Hazard prioritisation of substances in printing inks and adhesives applied to plastic food packaging.

Thousands of intentionally added substances can be used in printing inks and adhesives applied to plastic food packaging. Some of them can be transferred to foodstuffs through a phenomenon called migration, arising concerns on the potential adverse health effects derived from the exposure to chemicals that have not yet been assessed for their risks to humans. The large number of the substances concerned and the lack of prioritisation strategies hamper the work of control authorities, since it is not clear which substances should be monitored as first priority. In this study, a hazard prioritisation strategy is proposed. An inventory listing more than 6,000 substances used in inks and adhesives applied to plastic food packaging was compiled and filtered using several exclusion criteria aimed to set apart those substances for which there is no apparent need for further evaluation or because fall into one of the exclusion categories of the Threshold of Toxicological Concern (TTC) approach. Additionally, substances with a molecular weight >1,000 Da were removed. Approximately 2,300 substances were retained, for which a comprehensive hazard profiling was conducted based on the general scheme for the application of the TTC approach. First, structural alerts for genotoxic and non-genotoxic carcinogenicity were investigated. If a substance was neither genotoxic nor belonging to the chemical classes of organophosphates and carbamates, the Cramer classification was used. Furthermore, the substances were searched for their presence in three so-called 'Substances of Concern' lists and RASFF notifications. Groups of high, medium and low priority substances were established, resulting in 1,660 substances classified as high and medium priority. A panel of five experts evaluated these substances with respect to their relevance for further risk evaluations. By applying this hazard prioritisation strategy, 696 substances were identified as 'Very High Priority Substances' (VHPS) for which further assessments should be performed.

Development of a GC-FID method for the quantitative determination of polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) in foods.

Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) is a powerful lipophilic emulsifier used in low-fat spreads and chocolate. It should be used at the lowest level at which the desired technological effect is achieved, not exceeding the specified maxima according to Annexe II to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008. A gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection (GC-FID) method was developed for quantification of PGPR. This method is based on estimating the content of ricinoleic acid using 12-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid as an internal standard, from which the PGPR concentration was deduced. The method involved saponification, methylation, a two-step solid phase extraction (SPE) separation of the fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), silylation, and GC-FID analysis. The limits of detection and quantification of ricinoleic acid were 2.2 and 6.7 µg/mL, respectively, at 0.1 µL injection volume. Considering the average content of ricinoleic acid in PGPR (i.e. 86.63 ± 2.0 wt%) and the amount of food product that is used in the proposed protocol (i.e. 20 mg), this resulted in a LOD and LOQ of 0.76 and 2.32 µg PGPR per mg of food product, respectively. The developed method was validated by determining PGPR recovery from a high oleic sunflower oil (HOSO) solution, from chocolate spiked with a commercially available PGPR, and from commercially available low fat spreads with a known PGPR content. The actual recovery was more than 95% for all matrices, indicating the accuracy of the developed analytical technique. Moreover, the method proved to be very reproducible, with RSD < 4% for concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 5 wt%. The results showed that our proposed GC-FID method enables the reliable and quantitative determination of the PGPR concentration in commercial food products with various fat contents.

Method for beta-carotene extraction from processed baby foods as a model for plant-based fatty food products.

Reliable quantitative determination of carotenoids in complex food matrices such as processed baby food products is challenging because of their incorporation in rigid cellular structures, their sensitivity to oxidation and their lipophilic character. A one-pot liquid-liquid ß-carotene extraction procedure is described for solid baby foods, in the presence of enzymes (Clara-Diastase and Rapidase) facilitating matrix disintegration. The combined extraction and enzymatic dissolution not only protected ß-carotene from oxidation compared to the sequential approach, but also reduced the use of solvents and amount of filtrations steps, favouring a higher recovery. The addition of phenolic antioxidants (BHT, TBHQ and BHA) to calibration solutions and during the procedure at 25 mg/mL resulted in an up to 2.5-fold higher absorbance of ß-carotene solutions which was not observed for trans-ß-apo-8'-carotenal (used as internal standard) solutions. When applying the full procedure on ß-carotene spiked sunflower oil, an apparent recovery of 80% for ß-carotene was obtained. Finally, this protocol was applied to 50 vegetable-based and 22 fruit-based processed baby foods (range 0 to 1179 and 504 µg/100 g, respectively), and it was concluded that this extraction procedure may be used for similar processed foods products. The procedure proved to be sensitive (LOD = 0.12 µg/mL) and reproducible (CV for baby foods: 4-10%).

Kinetic modeling of malondialdehyde reactivity in oil to simulate actual malondialdehyde formation upon lipid oxidation.

The reactivity of malondialdehyde in saturated glycerol triheptanoate oil was studied over a wide temperature range (298.15-453.15 K). With respect to the non-ideal character of a lipid medium, a kinetic model was proposed that described the experimental malondialdehyde data by a reversible hydrolytic cleavage and an irreversible aldol self-condensation reaction. Significant parameter estimates were obtained by using a global one-step non-linear regression procedure. The aldol self-condensation of malondialdehyde showed to be the main degradation route of malondialdehyde in oils. Simulation of the malondialdehyde formation during lipid oxidation of sunflower oil demonstrated that, depending on the heating time, the experimentally obtained malondialdehyde concentrations can substantially underestimate the ongoing lipid oxidation.

Lipidome of cricket species used as food.

The variation in lipidome of house cricket, banded cricket, Jamaican field cricket and two-spotted cricket was studied using high-throughput screening techniques for fingerprinting (MALDI TOF MS, GC-MS and LC MS-MS) and well-stablished chromatographic techniques for quantification (HPLC-ELSD, GC- FID). Although the four cricket species were reared in identical conditions, two-spotted & banded crickets had a lipid content 1.5 fold higher than house cricket. The lipids were high in UFA (>63%) and unsaturated TAG (>98%) making them liquid at room temperature, thus an oil. Cholesterol and several phytosterols were profiled finding high cholesterol concentration which is a point of concern. Eight phospholipid types (211 species) were identified with no major differences among cricket species. Using high-throughput screening techniques we demonstrate the complexity of cricket lipidome. Information on the lipidome of these crickets with high commercial value is important to estimate its nutritional value and their potential food applications.