Insects: a protein-rich feed ingredient in pig and poultry diets

Implications

• The use of insects as a sustainable protein-rich feed ingredient in pig and poultry diets is technically feasible. Insects can turn lowgrade biowaste into proteins.

• The amino acid profile of yellow mealworm, common housefly, and black soldier fly is close to the profile of soybean meal with methionine or methionine + cystine, which are generally the most limiting essential amino acids for growing pigs and broilers. Arginine can also become a limiting essential amino acid for broilers fed housefly pupae and mealworm.
• Additional research is recommended on digestibility of (processed) insects, inclusion levels in poultry and pig diets, functional properties, safety when using biowaste as a rearing substrate, extraction of nutrients, shelf life, and use of left-over substrates and residue products of insects.
• To compete with conventional protein sources and become an interesting link in the animal feed chain to fulfil the globally increasing demand for protein, cost price o