10th U6+ Consortium of African Universities International Conference

Understanding species-level variability in edible insects is fundamental for their use as food ingredients. However, comparative datasets integrating protein composition,
micronutrient content, thermal behaviour, and colour across multiple insect species
remain limited. Six edible insect species, T. obscura, T. molitor, H. illucens, G.
bimaculatus, R. differens, and S. gregaria, were analysed in the full-fat state using
triplicate samples. Amino acid composition, mineral content, thermal stability, and colour attributes were quantified and evaluated using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to determine overall species effects. Amino acid profiles differed significantly among species (p < 0.001), with clear separation observed for total, essential, hydrophobic, and charged amino acid fractions. Mineral composition was likewise species dependent (p < 0.001), revealing distinct macro- and trace-mineral signatures across species. Thermogravimetric analysis further demonstrated species-specific thermal decomposition behaviour, indicating differences in thermal stability and compositional architecture among insects. Colour attributes also varied markedly, with S. gregaria exhibiting higher lightness and chroma, while H. illucens and T. molitor displayed darker, less saturated profiles. Within-species variability was low across all measurements. The pronounced inter-species differences observed across nutritional composition, thermal behaviour, and colour attributes demonstrate that edible insects represent a diverse ingredient space rather than a uniform protein category. From an industrial perspective, these baseline differences have direct implications for ingredient specification, formulation strategy, nutritional positioning, and consumer acceptance.