The following information builds upon the model developed and published by the Good Food Institute (GFI). You can download their entire guide to plant proteins here.
Defatted Mealworm Protein Powder
Protein Concentration: 64%
PDCAAS: .80 or better
Allergen Risk: similar to shellfish
Commercial Stage: very few large scale growers. Ynsect (France) moving from R&D to Startup phase w/ 100,000 metric ton / yr facility in 2022 primaily to support aquaculture
Flavor: nutty/earthy
Functionality: foaming, gelling/binding, and emulsification similar to egg albumen
Cost: very limited data on wholesale prices; retail prices typically exceed $100/kg
Global Crop Volume: unknown; most likely under .1 MMT for food. Unclear how much is produced for animal feed.
The amino acid data above is expressed in percentages.
Mealworms score higher on the sum of essential amino acids (ΣEAA) with 45 grams per 100 grams, compared to Whey (34 grams), Crickets (39 grams), Soy (20 grams), and Pea (24 grams).
Sources:
1. Planet Bugs, LLC lab testing
2. https://www.wageningenacademic.com/doi/abs/10.3920/JIFF2018.0048
3. Borremans A, Bußler S, Sagu ST, Rawel H, Schlüter OK, Leen VC. Effect of Blanching Plus Fermentation on Selected Functional Properties of Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) Powders. Foods. 2020; 9(7):917. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9070917
4. Son Y-J, Choi SY, Hwang I-K, Nho CW, Kim SH. Could Defatted Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) and Mealworm Oil Be Used as Food Ingredients? Foods. 2020; 9(1):40. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9010040
5. Zhao, Xue & Vázquez-Gutiérrez, José Luis & Johansson, Daniel & Landberg, Rikard & Langton, Maud. (2016). Yellow Mealworm Protein for Food Purposes - Extraction and Functional Properties. PloS one. 11. e0147791. 10.1371/journal.pone.0147791.
6. https://www.agriculture.com/markets/newswire/frances-ynsect-targets-food-market-with-protifarm-buy
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6245118/
8.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292978346_Yellow_Mealworm_Protein_for_Food_Purposes_-_Extraction_and_Functional_Properties