**4.1 Blanching**

Blanching is the process in which food is immersed in boiling water for a short period of time, then removing it and placing them into ice water to stop the thermal process [45]. On the industrial and artisanal scale, it is utilized as a pre-treatment for inactive degradative enzymes and to lower bacterial counts that lead to food spoilage and food poisoning. Wynants and his friend submerged *Alphitobius diaperinus* (beetle) in a bath of water heated to 90 degrees celsius till the temperature reached 88 degrees celsius (5 min). As an outcome, the total microbial count is reduced, and pathogens are missing [46].

Blanching diminishes quantities of mesophilic bacteria, yeast, and molds considerably; nevertheless, it is unsuccessful at removing or even reducing mesophilic bacterial spores. Blanching has also been shown to lower lactic acid bacteria levels and total psychrotrophic bacteria counts [47]. Chemical composition variations take longer to notice, owing to the leaching of soluble elements that might impact protein levels [48]. Some proteins go through structural changes during the boiling process, including denaturation, crosslinking, and associations with lipids and carbohydrates. As a response, the proportion of hydrophilic sites available for water binding might well be reduced, and sorption properties may be changed, necessitating a more detailed protein study [49].

To minimize the quality loss and reduce the antimicrobial effects, each bug species must be treated with a blanching procedure. Blanching edible insects should lessen the microbiological dangers connected with their intake, and it might be augmented with ways to diminish bacterial spores quantity [50]. However, in order to suit the needs of customers and the processing industry, these treatments must preserve the nutritional value of the food as well as other crucial quality characteristics including texture and color.
