Alternative protein production technology for animal feed

The European Parliament has recently adopted an ‘own initiative’ resolution with respect to the EU’s protein deficit. This resolution tabled measures that seek to end Europe’s dependence on imported protein crops for animal feed and improve upon the current less than 30% self-sufficiency in protein supply. The EU resolution indicates that urgent action is needed to replace much of the imported protein crops with alternative European sources. This project seeks to investigate the capability of insect protein as a feed material for pigs and poultry.
The planting of additional crop area to meet this need brings land resources under increasing pressure and actually reduces agricultural efficiency, so recovering protein from waste materials provides a novel and sustainable approach to diversifying protein supply. There has always been a realisation that insects could be much more widely exploited as a source of protein but lack of basic knowledge has hindered progress and there has not been the economic, regulatory or social drive to research this area.
There is significant potential for the use of insects as a source of animal feed protein. As a natural component of the diets of fish, pig, and poultry, insects represent a rich source of digestible protein that does not have the land use issues of other materials. However, it is recognised that there will be consumer and legislative hurdles to be overcome. The ability to produce protein from a waste substrate is a further attraction.
This project is a first stage assessment of the value and potential production capability of insect protein (based on house fly larvae) as feed material for monogastric livestock. It will involve the assessment of the most appropriate substrate and subsequent lab scale and pilot scale production to generate material for evaluation purposes, both intact and following various processing methods. This evaluation will include nutritional assessment, commercial cost-effectiveness and animal feeding trials. At all stages the feed/food safety aspects of the material will be reviewed and there will be ongoing investigation regarding the consumer, retailer and legislative aspects. At the end of this project the possible role of insect protein in livestock diets should be understood although further work would be needed to move it to a commercial scale.