The larvae of the Black Soldier Fly: a suitable source ofprotein and fat for laying hens?

Summary

The global demand for soybean as a feed ingredient is high, but its use is controversially discussed in Europe (1). One of the options for replacing soybean being currently researched is insect protein meal. So far, in Europe, insect meal is not allowed as an ingredient of poultry diets. Howeveq since meal from some insect species is already approved for pets, aquaculture and even human consumption, an approval for poultry is expected soon. For animal nutrition, especially the larvae of the black soldier fly (BSF, Hernetia illucens) are considered promising because they can be reared locally e.g. on former food products and the protein is rich in lysine and methionine (2). Still it is not yet known, ifBSF rneal can fully replace soybean protein and if the larval fat, prevalent in the larvae, would be suitable to be fed to poultry too. Therefore, the replacement with insect material was tested in high yielding layers fed an organic diet type.