Deciphering the Microbiota of Edible Insects Sold by Street Vendors in Thailand Using Metataxonomic Analysis

The aim of the present study was to investigate the microbiota of processed ready-to-eat (fried or boiled) edible insects sold by street vendors at local green markets in Thailand (Bangkok and Koh Samui). To this end, samples of 4 insect species (rhino beetle adults, silkworm pupae, giant waterbugs adults, and black scorpions) were collected and analyzed through viable counting and metataxonomic analysis. Enterobacteriaceae showed counts below 1 log cfu g−1 in all samples, except for black scorpions, which showed elevated counts reaching up to 4 log cfu g−1. Total mesophilic aerobes counts were up to 8 log cfu g−1 in all the analyzed samples. Counts below 1 log cfu g−1 were observed for Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, sulfite-reducing clostridia viable cells and spores, and Bacillus cereus. All the samples showed the absence of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. According to metataxonomic analysis, 14 taxa were consistently present across all insect samples, including Dellaglioa algida, Latilactobacillus curvatus, Latilactobacillus sakei, Acetobacteraceae, Apilactobacillus kunkeei, Bombilactobacillus spp., Enterobacteriaceae, Gilliamella spp., Lactobacillus spp., Lactobacillus apis, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, and Weissella spp. Minority taxa included Alcaligenes spp., Brochothrix thermosphacta, Psychrobacter spp., Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Lactobacillus melliventris, Pediococcus spp., Levilactobacillus brevis, and Snodgrassella alvi.