One of the most common bugs people eat are crickets. Acheta powder, or cricket powder, is one of the most popular ways to consume bugs in the United States. People have eaten insects since ancient times. Today, about 2.5 billion people worldwide rely on bugs as one of their food sources. In some countries, up to 50% of the protein people eat comes from insects.
Here’s a closer look at what acheta powder is, its benefits, its risks, and how to use it.
What Is Acheta Powder?
Acheta powder is a powder that’s made from ground-up crickets. It’s called acheta because that’s part of the scientific name of certain crickets (Acheta domesticus). It’s also sometimes labeled as acheta flour, although it’s not actually a type of flour. Unlike traditional flour, it’s high in protein and fat, and very low in carbohydrates.
How Do People Use Acheta Powder?
Acheta powder is used as a protein powder that you can make homemade breakfasts and snacks with, like smoothies. You can also use it as a flour when you bake (swap each ¾ cup of all-purpose flour with ¼ cup cricket flour). It’s also found in many other products, including protein bars, baked goods, tortillas, cookies, bread, and pasta. You can mix acheta powder into your coffee, tea, eggs, rice, soup, or even water. It has a mild, malty flavor that goes with pretty much everything and anything.
In the next few years, it may also be available as a substitute for meat. Look out for cricket-based hamburgers, sausages, meatballs, or even margarine.
Acheta Powder Products
Here are some popular brands to keep in mind:
- Griopro. Its manufacturer, All Things Bugs, claims it has developed a clean patent-pending process to grind farm-raised crickets into a super fine powder. As a result, it may not taste as gritty and will have a more neutral flavor compared to other acheta powders on the market.
- Chirps. Along with acheta powder, the company also sells a cricket chocolate chip cookie mix and whole roasted crickets in chile lime and cheddar flavors.
- Cricket Flours. This company sells acheta powder, cricket brownie and pancake mix, as well as whole roasted crickets.
- Crunchy Critters. The U.K. company sells acheta powder and roasted or smoked crickets.
- Entomo Farms. Entomo Farms is a certified organic farm. You can find regular and organic acheta powder as well as whole roasted crickets.
- EXO Protein. They sell acheta powder and cricket protein bars and cookies.
- Eat Grub. This company sells acheta powder, whole roasted crickets, and other insect treats such as mealworms.
- JR Unique Foods. This company sells acheta powder as well as different types of cricket oil to cook with.
- 3 Cricketeers. Here, they sell acheta powder for baking, cricket snack mixes, and cricket chocolate bars.
Acheta Powder Benefits
Crickets themselves have a nutty, earthy flavor. They taste like seeds or nuts. Here are some of the benefits of eating crickets:
They’re a good source of protein. Crickets themselves are over 70% protein. Some types of crickets are considered to be as good of a source of protein as animal sources like beef or chicken. Some crickets are even a complete protein source. This means that they contain all of the nine essential amino acids that your body needs to work properly.
They’re a rich source of many different nutrients. Crickets pack a powerful punch when it comes to certain vitamins and minerals. While the nutritional value depends on the type of cricket, in general you’ll find that crickets (and acheta powder) provide the following:
They provide healthy fats. A 2021 study in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition said edible insects like crickets are high in both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. They’re also a good source of polyunsaturated fat. All of these fats are very important for heart health.
They’re good for your gut. A 2019 study published in Scientific Reports found that eating crickets helped to support the growth of good gut bacteria. One reason for this may be because they contain fibers (like chitin) that promote beneficial bacteria. When people spent two weeks consuming 25 grams of acheta powder, there was an increase in a metabolic enzyme linked to gut health. Data also showed that there was a decline in TNF-alpha, a protein related to inflammation.
They benefit the environment. Crickets require a lot less feed than other forms of animal protein like cows. They only need 2 kilograms of feed for every kilogram of body weight gain. They also produce fewer greenhouse gasses and less ammonia than cattle or pigs and require much less land and water.
They taste good. A 2020 study in the Journal of Insect Science had college students taste-test acheta flour brownies as well as wheat flour brownies. They found that people actually preferred the cricket flour brownies. This, along with the environmental and nutritional benefits, might make people more likely to buy acheta products in the future.
Risks of Using Acheta Powder
Overall, acheta powder seems safe. But there hasn’t been enough research on it to know the exact effects of the ingredient. Like anything, acheta powder can carry risks. Here are some to keep in mind:
It could trigger an allergic reaction. Chitin, the fiber found on a cricket’s skeleton, is in acheta powder. This substance can cause an allergic reaction in some people. You’re more likely to have an allergic reaction if you’re allergic to shellfish such as shrimp or lobster.
It’s not regulated. Acheta powder, like other protein powders, isn’t regulated by the FDA. It’s considered a dietary supplement. That means it’s up to the manufacturer to decide if their product is safe and if it works. There’s also no way for you to tell if a bottle of acheta powder contains what it says it does. Instead of getting cricket protein, for example, you may just be getting a lot of the cricket’s exoskeleton. And a recent study that looked at 134 kinds of protein powders found that many contain toxins such as lead, arsenic, mercury, or bisphenol-A, as well as other contaminants linked to cancer.
It could contain parasites. A 2019 study published in the medical journal PLOS One looked at 300 insect farms, including 75 cricket farms. They made a shocking discovery: Over 80% of them had parasites. About 30% of those parasites could be harmful for humans. The study authors concluded, “edible insects are an underestimated reservoir of human and animal parasites.”
The good news is that most of the time, parasites found in crickets are benign. Parasites can also be found in meats, too, especially if they’re undercooked. But until better quality control is put in place at insect farms, it’s best to be cautious.
Where to Get Acheta Powder
You can find acheta powder products online (on sites such as Amazon.com) or in some health food stores. If possible, look for acheta powder that’s produced in the United States, rather than in another country. You should also read the label carefully. Make sure that it’s 100% pure acheta powder or flour, and that it’s not diluted with other things like cocoa.
If you plan to cook with acheta powder or flour, keep in mind that since it’s not “real” flour, it needs to be combined with regular flour to create a mixture before baking.
Acheta Powder Cost
Whole crickets are an affordable source of protein, which is why so many people eat them in poorer areas. It doesn’t cost much to breed and raise crickets. But acheta protein powder itself can be very expensive. Some companies charge as much as $60 per pound. The higher the quality and purity of the product, the more expensive it’s likely to be.
If you’re tempted to try acheta powder, you might want to buy a small amount (like a quarter-pound) and mix it with your regular protein powder. You’ll most likely reap many of the nutritional benefits, at a fraction of the cost.
Takeaways
Acheta powder, or cricket powder, has become more popular in the United States. It’s a good source of protein, heart-healthy fats, fiber, and important nutrients such as B vitamins and zinc. It also has a pleasant, nutty taste. But cricket powder isn’t regulated by the FDA. As a result, there’s no way to know for sure that the product you use contains what it claims to. Cricket powder is also very expensive. You may want to try a small amount first to make sure you like it.
Acheta Powder FAQs
What brands contain acheta?
There are many packaged foods that contain acheta powder. You can find it as a protein powder and in baked goods like cookies, chocolate bars, flour, bread, and even pasta.
What is cricket flour called in the USA?
Cricket flour in the USA is often called just that: cricket flour. But it may also be known as acheta flour. It gets its name from the scientific one for crickets, Acheta domesticus.
Are there any benefits to eating crickets?
Crickets are a very good source of protein. In fact, some types are considered to be as good of a source of protein as animal sources of protein like beef or chicken. They’re also a good source of nutrients like B vitamins, iron, zinc, copper, and manganese. Research also suggests they may be good for your gut. They might help to reduce inflammation in your body as well. Finally, crickets aren’t just good for your health, they’re good for the environment too. They produce less greenhouse gas than other sources of animal protein, like cattle.
Is insect protein good for you?
Insects are a great source of nutrition, as they are high in protein, healthy fat, and certain minerals. That’s one reason why they’re a staple in diets in some parts of the world such as Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
What U.S. foods use cricket flour?
Some U.S. companies have begun to use acheta flour as a protein source in products such as baked goods, protein bars, tortillas, cookies, bread, and pasta. It may soon also begin to be used as a meat substitute in products like burgers.
Is cricket flour FDA-approved?
No. The FDA does regulate whole crickets used for food. In the United States, they need to be raised to be eaten, just like a cow or chicken. But cricket powder or flour isn’t regulated in the same way. It’s considered a protein powder and is classified as a dietary supplement.
What does cricket flour taste like?
It has a nutty, woodsy flavor. It’s described as having an umami quality, which means it may have more of a savory taste.
Is cricket flour healthy?
When you consume cricket flour, you’re eating the entire cricket. That means you get a good amount of protein and nutrients such as B vitamins, zinc, copper, and manganese.
