Waste treatment with Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) converts biowaste into valuable insect biomass. The technology is popular given the possible revenues from sales of BSFL derived products such as BSFL based animal feed. Revenues from product sales can provide the incentive to use this approach for biowaste management, especially in low- and middle-income settings with lacking waste infrastructure and services. We present results of the SIBRE project in East-Java, Indonesia that focuses on developing various animal feed products from BSFL and assesses their market potential for the case of a small-scale BSF facility located in Sidoarjo. Given the scale of operation, the market assessment identified the local pet food market (bird, ornamental fish and reptile) as a promising market for sales of BSFL based animal feed products. The market value for such animal feed is estimated at around one million US dollars per month (for the city of Surabaya) with around 40 products that could be substituted by BSFL. Based on these findings different post-processing pathways for BSFL were researched for a variety of BSFL products. Results are presented in a post-processing matrix. Acceptance and competitiveness of these newly developed products were tested by supplying them in the local market to retailers at sales prices based on production cost at the currently operating BSF waste treatment facility. Independent of the product envisaged, post-processing starts with a blanching step to reduce microbial load which also prevents color changes during subsequent drying. The next processing step involves drying either using a microwave to produce what we call “pop-larvae” or in a dehydrator (65°C, 20 h). Microwaved larvae (1000 W, 15 min) seem to be more appealing to customers and animals given the crunchy, light texture and puffed shape. These sensory benefits allow a higher selling price and thus this compensates for the higher production costs. Mechanical oil extraction from dried larvae allows yield of a defatted protein meal as well as BSFL oil. Given the production costs of BSFL meal and oil, selling prices are higher than the price of fish meal and fish oil available in East Java. The high protein meal could be mixed in formulations for higher priced exotic fish feed pellets. The fatty acid profile of BSFL oil is similar to palm kernel oil or coconut oil, which are commonly used in cosmetic industry. Natural based cosmetics are a trend in East Java with higher selling prices, which could therefore warrant the use of BSFL oil.

We fed a 5% w/w supplement of live black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae to commercial brown laying hens over a period of 15 weeks, and looked at productivity, welfare and health impacts.

For several years, feed manufacturers are searching for new sources of proteins in order to respond to the growth of the sector and the challenges of sustainable development. At the same time, more than 30% of the world agricultural production is wasted (unsold or expired products, by-products of agri-food industries). Recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), insects make it possible to valorize food waste (bioconversion). The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) represents a particularly adapted resource to feed fish because it is natural, safe, sustainably produced and has a good nutritional quality. The objective of the studies carried out between December 2018 and May 2019 is to evaluate the zootechnical performances of trouts when a part of fishmeal is replaced by a partially defatted black soldier fly (BSF) meal at different inclusion levels, at diverse trout sizes and under various breeding conditions. A BSF meal, produced by a French company, is incorporated in feeds of different sizes (1,2 mm; 2 mm; 5mm) and at different inclusion rates (5 to 25%), as replacement material for fishmeal. These feeds have been used to feed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) from 7 grams to 350 grams in four locations in France and in the European Union, in experimental facilities and in fish farms. All results were positive. Trouts fed with feeds containing BSF meal showed faster growth and better feed conversion ratios than the control groups fish. It therefore seems possible to replace a significant portion (up to 60%) of fishmeal by BSF meal. During these studies, complementary analyzes have been done: nutritional composition of the fish, digestibility of the feed and effects on the fish health.

Insect consumption has been relished by man and animal. The high cost of fishmeal in aquaculture diet has led to the search of renewable resources as animal protein source in fish nutrition. Cockroaches are ubiquitous insect and its farming is on the increase as source of dietary protein and pharmaceuticals. Cockroach (Periplanata americana) meal digestibility was studied using Clarias gariepinus. Diet of 40% protein basal and test diet with inert biomarker was used to assess the digestibility of the meal at 70:30 ratios over 42 day period using ten fish/tank/replicate of average weight 29.22g. Digestibility coefficient in test fish and basal fish revealed the following: protein (88.48% vs 87.01%); dry matter (87.35% vs. 86.82%), energy (86.88% vs. 85.48%); fat (39.67% vs. 27.75%). Growth response to diets revealed test and basal fed fish; weight gain (52.59g vs. 36.31g); Sgr (0.03g vs. 0.02g); feed conversion ratio (1.71 vs. 2.13) and percentage weight gain (181.44% vs. 123.35%) respectively. The values of test diet were significantly higher (P<0.05) than basal diet indicating the suitability of the meal in dietary inclusion for fish.