Mysuru-based Central Sericulture Research Training Institute (CSRTI) in Mysuru has joined hands with Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) in the city to come out with a number of food products from silkworm pupae fit for human consumption.
With the silkworm rearing and reeling process generating several by-products, CSRTI director Gandhi Doss said the scientists of the Institute have been involved in studies related to developing technologies for appropriate utilisation of technology for use of by-products on a commercial scale.
Recently, the scientists of the Institute worked alongside the food scientists from CFTRI to come out with a range of food products like cookies, pasta, mayonnaise, beverage mix and pickles from silkworm pupae.
“Technology has been developed. We will shortly be carrying out large-scale trials for taste and sensory evaluation. We will also have to get approval from Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI),” CSRTI Scientist Dr. Yeruva Thirupathaiah told The Hindu.
While much of the by-products of silkworm pupae like oil and animal feed are developed from spent pupae, the scientists used “fresh or green” pupa for coming out with food products for human consumption.
Even though natives of North East India like Assam consume “roasted and spiced” silkworm pupae as food items, CSRTI is looking to export the food products to countries like China, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries, where dishes made out of silkworm pupae are a traditional culinary item.
The development of cookies, pasta, mayonnaise, beverage mix and pickles out of silkworm pupae adds to the already available list of food items available for human consumption from the sericulture industry.
While mulberry fruit is already used for production of jams, jellies and red wine, mulberry leaves, which is mainly used for feeding silkworm, had gained importance for human consumption because of its medicinal values and is now used even for manufacturing mulberry tea
“Mulberry leaf is known for its rich source of antioxidants. It is believed to have anti-diabetic properties and used in the manufacture of mulberry green tea”, said Dr. Thirupathaiah.
