Singapore headquartered, Nutrition Technologies, unveiled the results of their recent trial using alternative protein from black soldier fly (BSF) meal to replace fishmeal in shrimp diets. The trial found that shrimp fed with diets using the BSF meal had better results and were more cost-effective than traditional diets.

Tom Berry, co-CEO of Nutrition Technologies, explained that “these results are really important for the future of agriculture. Not only is insect meal a more sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative but also has now been proven to outcompete fishmeal both nutritionally and economically.”

In their recent trial with ShrimpVet in Vietnam, all treatments using BSF meal had more desirable results than the control. The best result came from a diet that had a 25% fishmeal replacement inclusion (a total 6.6% BSF meal). This led to a 14% higher survival rate, 17% higher live yield and a better feed conversion rate of 20% when compared to the control diet. The inclusion of Nutrition Technologies' BSF meal (Hi.Protein®) in this treatment increased the total cost of the diet by 3.3%, but due to the improved performance, it resulted in an overall shrimp feed that was 14.4% better value for money. The BSF meal used in this trial was made in Nutrition Technologies' new industrial production facility in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia, the largest insect meal plant in Asia.

“By replacing one-quarter of fishmeal with black soldier fly meal in shrimp diets, we could observe the greatest performance gain which represents a 24:1 ROI over commercial feeds,” said Rafael Hermes, animal nutrition director at Nutrition Technologies.

“There's a big gap for products and solutions in the aquaculture market that represents big opportunities to fulfill, and that is exactly where our insect meal fits in,” said Nick Piggott, co-CEO of Nutrition Technologies.