December 30, 2020

 

Australia explores use of black soldier fly larvae for pig feeds

 

 

Australia is working on a pilot project to use black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) as a pig feed ingredient.

 

The ingredient would be made of larvae that are fed food waste.

 

Duncan Rowland, executive officer at the Feed Ingredients & Additives Association of Australia (FIAAA), and the Stock Feed Manufacturers' Council of Australia (SFMCA) noted that BSFLM is also found in pellet poultry feed in some states in the country.

 

BSFLM is also found in extruded feed manufactured for various fin aquaculture species, mainly Atlantic salmon.

 

Currently, Australia does not allow insect protein to be used for pig feed as it meets the definition of swill. Swill, according to Animal Health Australia, includes all meat or meat products and any food that has come in contact with meat, a material recognised with a significant risk factor for the introduction and spread of several diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and African swine fever (ASF).

 

The black soldier fly larvae can potentially contain small amounts of meat or meat products. Therefore, extra precautions must be in place before it can enter the pig feed supply chain.

 

"If insect protein is to be used for feeding pigs, a risk assessment needs to be undertaken and agreed to by the Australian government's chief veterinary officers," Rowland explained.

 

"There would also need to be some system in place that would ensure the insects being raised do not come in contact with meat products and that they are clean before processing. So there would be a quality assurance or verification system to provide proof of certain practices."

 

SFMCA is working with the Insect Protein Association of Australia (IPAA) on a pilot project with two insect manufacturers in Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory to trial a programme called FeedSafe. In the trial, any changes needed to establish FeedSafe programme will be noted and included for review by the appropriate government personnel.

 

"The trial is in its early phase at these sites," said Rowland. "We will be working as fast as the businesses want to move, so we're looking at somewhere between six to 12 months to implement, document and collect data. This will require an internal audit as well as a third-party audit."

 

 - Pig Progress