ISSUE FOCUS 36 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE October 2022 In vitro testing against common pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella sp. and S. aureus, extracts of BSFL oil, meal and fresh larvae were demonstrated to have significant anti-microbial activity, as demonstrated by the bacterial inhibition zone within the petri dish. PALATABILITY & ATTRACTANTS Insects (or more broadly, invertebrates) are in the natural diets of many animals, both aquatic and land-based. We know this through both observation and scientific studies that demonstrate the chitinolytic capabilities of dogs, cats, pigs, and many fish species. We have also seen frequent demonstrations that insect meal & oil acts as both a palatant and an attractant, accelerating feed update and increasing overall feed intake. In order, then, to optimise the use of insect-based ingredients in feed formulations, the focus should not be on drawing parallels to fish meal and the macronutrient composition, but on the contribution of those other biological molecules and their capacity to deliver improved performance on some key indicators. APPLICATION STRATEGIES Because of this, insect meal (and oil) are better suited to functional feeds than to standard feeds, or to integrators who reap the benefits of improved performance without having to pass on any changes in raw material costs to their customers. At this stage of the (insect) industry both users and suppliers are still getting to know the material and how best to work with it, but as the knowledge base grows, clear strategies and use-cases will become apparent across and between species, and application of insect-based products will become more targeted and more effective. About Nick Piggott Nick is a Co-founder and Co-CEO of Nutrition Technologies, an industrial-scale BSF manufacturer based in South East Asia. With a background in Life Sciences, Nick was exposed to the challenges of food security whilst working for the UN in West Africa, and the company has since developed insect-based feed-ingredients for the livestock and aquaculture industries to address this issue. Nick is the industry-side face of Nutrition Technologies, overseeing the product, regulatory & client side of the business, ensuring that the organization maintains constant awareness of the competitive & regulatory landscape, market trends, technology developments and industry standards. Commercial trial on piglets replacing 2% full fat soybean meal with full-fat BSFL meal Control BSF meal Variance (p:0.06) Final weight (kg) 22.30 25.70 15.40% Feed intake (kg) 20.00 24.70 23.50% FCR 1.50 1.48 Initial weight (kg) 9.00 9.10 Nutrition Technologies’ in vitro product testing against three common pathogenic bacteria
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