October 11, 2023

 

Innovafeed part of Nofima trial supporting use of insect meal, byproducts in aquafeed

 

 

Recent aquaculture feeding trials showed that insect meal and byproducts from black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens) processing can help fish grow well, according to researchers at Norway-based Nofima.

 

Seeking to measure the effects on salmon parr, which are young, freshwater salmon, researchers worked with France-based insect producer Innovafeed to feed during the larval stage.

 

At Nofima's Sunndalsøra research station, they measured differences in digestion and growth when using feeds with 10% insect meal and various levels of stickwater, a byproduct of insect meal production thought to be rich in bioactive components. BSF larvae are processed into meal and stickwater.

 

The researchers studied juvenile fish during a growth phase from approximately 20-85 grams. The insect ingredient was compared in feed with similar protein content and replaced half of the fish meal in a control diet. The trials showed that salmon experienced good growth and digestion when their diet contained stickwater. With 10% insect meal in the feed, the fish also grew as well as fish that received the control feed.

 

"The trial shows that there is no problem in salmon having at least 10% insect meal in their feed," said Nofima's Andre Sture Bogevik. "Based on the positive effects of the stickwater fraction from fishmeal, we cannot rule out that this fraction from insects would have had a positive effect under other conditions. In any case, it is an important side stream to safeguard for the optimal utilisation of insects as feed for fish."

 

In the project, the level of the mineral manganese was also investigated. The European Union has threshold values for the content of manganese in the finished feed for farmed fish, and insects contain naturally high levels of the mineral.

 

The trial showed that the fish excrete the mineral and do not absorb more in the body than if the meal did not contain high levels of manganese, nor did the mineral lead to any deformities or have a negative impact on growth.

 

"We are delighted to observe results aligned with the internal research we have carried for the past years at Innovafeed," said Elin Kvamme at Innovafeed. "The growth results pave the way for the widespread use of insect protein in the salmon industry, as a sustainable, traceable and performing ingredient."

 

The research – conducted as part of the Millennial Salmon project, which is funded by the Research Council of Norway – is published as the master's thesis of Erika Marie Hanson at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and is titled "Effects on growth and welfare of Atlantic salmon parr, feed diets with 10% BSFL meal, with different inclusions of BSFL stickwater."

 

- Global Seafood Alliance