Chitin. Deep Processing
Yellow Mealworm Development and Utilization
Yellow mealworm development and utilization are provided by Jindi Agricultural Yellow Mealworm Breeding Base:
I. Development of Yellow Mealworm Food
After years of research and experimentation, Jindi Agriculture Company divides yellow mealworm food into three categories, each of which can be further divided into many series of products, known as "Han Shrimp" food.
1. Deep-processed Products
Deep processing extracts protein, complex amino acids, fat, and chitin. The production equipment and technology requirements for deep-processed products are relatively high, with large production investments. Like the first two food series, yellow mealworm raw materials must undergo strict impurity removal and disinfection before they can be used.
2. Snack Series
The yellow mealworm is strictly processed to remove impurities (yellow mealworms that have not been strictly processed cannot be directly used for food processing), then disinfected, fixed, dried (dehydrated) and ground into powder, which we call "Han Shrimp Powder."
Han Shrimp Powder can be used as a food ingredient, added to rice and flour foods to produce a series of "Han Shrimp Foods."
Adding 7% "Han Shrimp Powder" to cookies makes them delicious and increases protein content by one fold.
Adding 5% "Han Shrimp Powder" to puffed food makes it fragrant, crispy, and nutritious.
Adding "Han Shrimp Powder" to brittle sugar or mooncake fillings can create special-flavored "Han Shrimp Brittle Sugar" and "Han Shrimp Mooncakes."
3. Beverage Series
Yellow mealworms that have undergone impurity removal are blended and juiced, the skin is filtered out, and the juice is mixed to create flavored beverages, or the pulp is dried and sprayed into powder to create instant drinks. This beverage contains over 10% protein, several times higher than milk's protein content, with a nutty flavor and unique taste.
II. Overview of Foreign Development and Utilization of Yellow Mealworms
Many countries abroad are developing and utilizing yellow mealworms, some even establishing specialized institutions for in-depth research. France, Germany, Russia, and Japan were among the earliest to conduct research. From studying artificial feed and improving artificial breeding techniques to exploring the edible, medicinal, and health functions of products, much work has been done, and there are already numerous reports on these aspects. In recent years, it was discovered that yellow mealworm protein is not only high-quality edible and medical protein but also that adding yellow mealworm protein to some liquid products can prevent freezing and ice formation, making it suitable as antifreeze for cold regions' beverages, medicines, vehicle water tanks, and industrial use. Some countries extract bioactive substances from yellow mealworms as special drugs, such as interferon. Other countries process yellow mealworms into dishes, place them on dining tables, or use them as ingredients for pharmaceuticals and health supplements sold in markets, such as vegetable and fruit yield enhancers and beauty cosmetics made from chitin products.
III. Status of Domestic Development and Utilization of Yellow Mealworms
China's yellow mealworm breeding began in the early 20th century, mainly used as medicinal animals and exotic poultry feed at the time, also for scientific research and teaching. Recently, the development and utilization of yellow mealworms have developed rapidly due to the growth of the health product market. Yellow mealworm breeding has spread throughout the country, available in all local pet and fish markets with substantial sales volumes. Yellow mealworms have evolved from being feed for scorpions and softshell turtles to feed for birds, goldfish, turtles, frogs, tropical fish, and more than ten other animals. Recently, scholars across various regions have conducted extensive research on eating yellow mealworms. Catering systems, hotels, and restaurants have gradually placed yellow mealworms on their dining tables, gradually gaining consumer acceptance.
Currently, most chitin products on the market are extracted from shrimp and crab shells. These contain large amounts of lime and wax, with chitin content only between 4%-6%, making the production process relatively complex. Insect exoskeletons contain lower levels of lime and wax, with chitin content reaching 20%-40%, making extraction easier and yielding higher quality products. Chitin products have many uses in pharmaceuticals, health supplements, food, cosmetics, textiles, or agricultural and forestry fruit and vegetable yield enhancers. In recent years, some scholars have studied using the exoskeleton of yellow mealworms to extract chitin and chitosan. Chitin, also known as chitosan, is a polymeric form of N-acetylglucosamine, widely found in lower plants, fungi, crustacean shells, and higher plant cell walls. Chitosan, also known as deacetylated chitin, is the product of chitin deacetylation. Both chitin and chitosan have wide applications, including lowering human cholesterol, enhancing immune function, preventing and treating diabetes, and reducing blood pressure. They can be used to make artificial skin with cell activation, antibacterial, and hemostatic properties, serve as food stabilizers, emulsifiers, preservatives, and clarifiers, and play roles in manufacturing textiles with antibacterial, preservative, and anti-allergic properties.
Yellow mealworm fat is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and can be purified for medical and cosmetic fats. Yellow mealworm fat enhances skin's anti-wrinkle function and has certain therapeutic and alleviating effects on skin diseases, making it a product worth researching and developing.
Jindi Agricultural Yellow Mealworm Breeding Base wholesales yellow mealworms and yellow mealworm breeding stock year-round. Contact number: 15080987576