As the tide is turning against the import of soy as animal feed, the idea of using locally raised mealworms as a sustainable source of protein is becoming increasingly important.
Gram for gram, mealworms contain more protein than steak and are rich in amino acids, minerals, fats, vitamins and energy that form the basis of feed for poultry, aquaculture and domestic animals. Crucially, however, the insects can provide all of these nutrients with a diet from organic food waste while consuming little land and water.
Olivia Champion founded Entec Nutrition in 2018 to create an affordable food source by maximizing the desirable properties of mealworms such as short rearing times and increased protein content. The company is currently in the research and development phase, studying the best conditions for mealworm production, including optimizing diet and growth rates.
But why are mealworms better than other insects like soldier flies? Emma Theobald of Entec explained that the answer lies in density: “You can’t grow soldier flies that close because they’re flying insects, but mealworms are comfortable in close proximity and can be tightly packed, which means they’re grown vertically can be. Although the products are already being tested with a small number of partners, commercial launch will require the development of production facilities, which we will focus on in 2021. ”
An important goal is to provide as much of the mealworms’ diet as possible with by-products from industry. The company is now refining methods of using brewery grains as a substrate for feeding insects. It may also be possible to feed and rear the mealworms differently to create different nutrient profiles for different end markets. For example, aquaculture requires little fat while poultry require more.
The research funding has also been used to research packaging, shelf life and potential contaminants – aspects that are critical to getting products to market. Ms. Theobald said: “The industry needs to know how mealworm products are safely stored and how long they last.”
The next hurdle to be overcome is the regulatory requirements. Currently, EU rules severely restrict the feeding of animals that enter the food chain – which restricts the feeding of mealworms. There are also restrictions on the form in which mealworms can be fed to other animals such as pigs and poultry. However, if insects get poultry feed approval in the UK, Entec believes the market will be so undersaturated that demand would far outstrip supply.
