ISSUE FOCUS FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE January 2026 55 Traditional animal nutrition methods are shifting toward biotechnology-driven preventive strategies due to antimicrobial resistance and environmental constraints. In this context, silkworm pupae offer a bio-circular ingredient with high digestible protein and bioactive peptides. This resource, validated in aquaculture and livestock, plays a critical role in supporting immunity, enhancing stress tolerance, and building sustainable food systems. Today, almost 86% of the world’s population consumes animal-derived foods, from milk and meat to eggs and fish, for their nutrition. Close to 12% of the world’s population directly depends on these foods for livelihood. As population rises and production of animal nutrition scales, the impact on land and water, the effects of climate change, and the threat of antimicrobial resistance and zoonotic disease outbreaks are already on the horizon. Under these constraints, how can we look at 'performance' and 'productivity'? While we optimise these systems for more productivity, we also need to consider how they shape food security, environmental systems and public health. The One Health approach, which focuses on preventing, predicting, detecting, and responding, helps chart the fundamental interconnectedness of these three aspects while using a multidisciplinary framework to provide holistic strategies. NUTRITION FOR THE NEXT-GEN For much of the past few decades, short-term gains have been the priority for animal nutrition. Despite the negative impacts of feed ingredients like soymeal and fishmeal on land and water, they were preferred for enhancing performance. Antibiotics and synthetic additives were preferred for increased short-term output. But what we did gain in performance in the short run, we paid for in the long term with antibiotic resistance, ecosystem degradation, and nutritional imbalances that have disrupted the food chain. It clearly showed us that nutrition is not just a feed industry concern. It is health policy, environmental commitment, and moral responsibility rolled into one. Feed choices now shape outcomes far beyond growth rates and feed conversion ratios. They determine gut integrity, immune function, disease susceptibility, antimicrobial dependency, and the resilience of production systems over time. Within the industry, this has prompted a shift from a reactive strategy for diseases to one of preventing them from the getgo. Functional feeds that support gut integrity and microbiome balance are increasingly viewed as complementing biosecurity and management practices while reducing dependence on antimicrobials. SILKWORM PUPAE AND THE FUTURE OF BIO-CIRCULAR FEED SYSTEMS Ankit Alok Bagaria CEO & Co-Founder Loopworm Private Limited
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