Insects in Pet Food Industry—Hope or Threat?

Abstract

Due to the increasing global population, the world cannot currently support the well-known techniques of food production due to their harmful effects on land use, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. The key answer is a solution based on the use of edible insects. They have always been present in the diet of animals. They are characterized by a very good nutritional value (e.g., high protein content and contents of essential amino acids and fatty acids, including lauric acid), and products with them receive positive results in palatability tests. Despite the existing literature data on the benefits of the use of insects as a protein source, their acceptance by consumers and animal caregivers remains problematic. In spite of the many advantages of using insects in pet food, it is necessary to analyze the risk of adverse food reactions, including allergic reactions that may be caused by insect consumption. Other hazards relate to the contamination of insects. For example, they can be contaminated with anthropogenic factors during breeding, packaging, cooking, or feeding. These contaminants include the presence of bacteria, mold fungi, mycotoxins, and heavy metals. However, insects can be used in the pet food industry. This is supported by the evolutionary adaptation of their wild ancestors to the eating of insects in the natural environment. The chemical composition of insects also corresponds to the nutritional requirements of dogs. It should be borne in mind that diets containing insect and their effects on animals require careful analysis. The aim of this article is to discuss the nutritional value of insects and their possible applications in the nutrition of companion animals, especially dogs.

Black soldier fly larvae protein production in Australia

“…As summarized by Kępińska-Pacelik and Biel (2022) , while limited data exists published work suggests that incorporating insects as a portion of the diet for dogs does not negatively impact palatability, digestibility, or fecal consistency. In unpublished research from our group ( Kerr et al, 2020 ) preference testing of dried BSFL (microwave dried, unprocessed, and whole) compared to commercial dog treats (beef, lamb, pork, chicken, fish, or sweet potato products) indicated that dogs preferred the traditional protein sourced treats, although dogs were interested in the BSFL and some dogs preferentially selected insects (particularly when selecting between sweet potato or BSFL).…”

“…This was a small masters research experiment and did not attempt to quantify the previous food experiences of the dogs tested and was further limited by the comparison of processed traditional proteins compared to whole unprocessed BSFL. Consumer acceptance of insects in pet feed is a larger barrier but many owners do show interest in feeds containing insects and it is likely that exposure and education can increase consumer demand for such products ( DiGiacomo et al, 2019 ; Kępińska-Pacelik and Biel, 2022 ).…”

Proximate Content Monitoring of Black Soldier Fly Larval (Hermetia illucens) Dry Matter for Feed Material using Short-Wave Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging

“…Feed insects can serve as a substitute for traditional feed ingredients, and they may serve as alternatives to grain feed such as soybean and corn, as well as fishmeal ( Nogales-Mérida et al, 2018 ; van Raamsdonk et al, 2017 ). In the feed market especially, there has been a trend towards reducing the proportion of soybeans used in feed by establishing mixing ratios because of the decrease in crop production caused by global warming ( Boerema et al, 2016 ; Kępińska-Pacelik and Biel, 2022 ). Edible insects are also being considered fishmeal substitutes in feed because of the scarcity of fishery resources and to reduce feed costs.…”

“…These include larvae of the black soldier fly ( Hermetia illucens ), mealworm ( Tenebrio molitor ), supermealworm ( Zophobas morio ), housefly ( Musca domestica ), and crickets ( Acheta domesticus ; van Raamsdonk et al, 2017 ). They are being developed into feed products for various animals such as pigs ( Ji et al, 2016 ; Veldkamp and Bosch, 2015 ), poultry ( Cullere et al, 2018 ; Pieterse et al, 2019 ), fish ( Nogales-Mérida et al, 2018 ; Zarantoniello et al, 2020 ), and are even used in pet food ( Kępińska-Pacelik and Biel, 2022 ). The possibility of using them as cattle feed has also been discussed ( Drewery et al, 2022 ).…”

“…In particular, when producing feed insects, the small size of insects and large quantities required for processing make quality control difficult. Failure to manage quality can result in unpleasant odors and mold, which can threaten the quality of the final product ( Kępińska-Pacelik and Biel, 2022 ). In particular, when used as animal or fish feed, it is essential to understand the general nutrient content of each ingredient.…”