Companies producing cultivated insect protein are emerging around the globe. Dutch and French researchers are pioneering the potential insect-meal revolution, but commercial operations also now exist in Canada, Germany, Lithuania, Malaysia, South Africa, Spain, the United States and Vietnam. Most of these businesses are producing and processing the Black Soldier Fly, followed by the Housefly and Mealworm. 

At this point, the most likely consumers of fly larval meal are fish. The amino acid profile of larval meal is very similar to that of fish meal, and it results in lower phosphorus waste production compared to higher-fiber fish meal.

Two of the most prominent U.S. insect production companies are EnviroFlight in Ohio, and River Road Research in California. Both companies use food waste and co-products as the substrate for their insect feed, emphasizing the eco-friendly and sustainability advantages of their production systems.

EnviroFlight cultivates the Black Soldier Fly, utilizing both its waste products and larval meal. The larvae feed off of co-products from breweries, ethanol production and pre-consumer food waste. The “manure” from the larvae, called “frass,” becomes a high-protein, low-fat feedstuff for omnivorous species such as tilapia, freshwater prawns and catfish. The larvae themselves also are utilized as a feedstuff. 

Source: Dairy Herd Management // Original Article