Microbiota and food safety of Acheta domesticus: perspectives and challenges

This work highlights the food safety risks associated with Acheta domesticus as a food and/or food ingredient and provides recommendations to address these risks. The review presented an updated analysis of the microbiota content and its food safety risks in the edible house cricket, A. domesticus, the main insect produced industrially. It is promoted as a sustainable and nutritious alternative to support food security. This review synthesises current quantitative evidence on the microbiota and associated food-safety risks of the house cricket (A. domesticus), the principal insect reared at industrial scale and promoted as a sustainable, protein-rich food ingredient. Studies reporting original microbial data from fresh insects and a range of processed products (dried, powdered, freeze-dried, cooked, boiled, and fermented) were compiled. Results indicate that fresh A. domesticus frequently harbours elevated microbial loads, often exceeding European safety criteria for total aerobic counts, Enterobacteriaceae, and spore-forming bacteria. Although standard post-harvest processing substantially reduces total microbial burdens in most cases, a persistent core microbiome remains, notably thermotolerant spore-forming bacteria (e.g. Bacillus cereus and B. cytotoxicus) and toxigenic fungi (e.g. Aspergillus flavus, Mucor spp.). Given these findings and the absence of specific regulatory frameworks in many jurisdictions, there is a critical need for mandatory implementation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems across insect-rearing and processing chains. Effective food-safety management should include validated thermal treatments, strategies to target spore control, routine microbiological monitoring, and the development of clear, science-based regulatory standards to ensure the quality and safety of insect-derived food products.