Edible insects represent a natural source of nutrients and functional compounds, and in recent years they have been increasingly used as ingredients in food products due to their high nutritional value. They are rich in high-quality proteins, fats, minerals, and bioactive compounds. In the food industry, ground insects are increasingly used to enrich food products, however it cannot be neglected their effect on technological and sensory properties of the products. In this master’s thesis, we examined the effect of adding ground house crickets and ground larvae of mealworm on the nutritional and sensory quality of sourdough bread. Ground insects were added at levels of 5 % and 10 % as a partial replacement for wheat flour. Results of chemical analyses showed that the addition of ground insects decreased the protein and increased the fat and ash content in the bread. The sensory evaluation found that higher insect additions contributed to uneven crumb porosity, irregular loaf shape, gritty texture, and a specific earthy or animal-like flavor, which negatively affected the overall score. Breads with 10 % insect content received more negative comments, especially those with added crickets. In contrast, breads with a 5 % flour substitution were scored higher in terms of sensory quality, although they still differed slightly from the control sample. The consumer panel gave the highest hedonic scores to the control breads, followed by breads with lower insect content, indicating cautious acceptance of such ingredients by consumers.
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