Can insects be used in the nutrition of ruminants?

Abstract

Recent studies pointed out that live insects and their products (meals and oils) are suitable protein and fat sources and can be used in the nutrition of farmed monogastric animals. This is as an alternative to traditional plant-derived and animal-derived feedstuffs. To date very little information is available concerning the effects of the dietary inclusion of insects on feed digestibility and performance of ruminant animals. The aim of this editorial is to briefly review the published information on this topic.

The Role of Insects in Sustainable Animal Feed Production for Environmentally Friendly Agriculture: A Review

“…Nevertheless, some in vitro studies have highlighted the relatively low digestibility of insects for ruminants, unless developing processing technologies can improve this aspect. Furthermore, in vivo feeding studies are needed to evaluate the impact of live insect products and by-products on the quantitative and qualitative aspects of ruminant production and health [63]. The main conclusion for the future, according to Renna et al [64], is that a major research effort is needed in the coming years to achieve a thoughtful nutritional evaluation of insect-derived products (i.e., whole and defatted meals, oils, and other ingredients).…”

Have the environmental benefits of insect farming been overstated? A critical review

“…We will not delve into the impact of feeding insects to ruminants like cows or sheep, as they are not anticipated to form a significant market segment in the near future (IPIFF, 2021). Additionally, while incorporating insects in ruminant diets might reduce methane emissions, there is a lack of detailed studies on their environmental impacts, and knowledge about the optimal composition and inclusion levels for ruminants remains limited (Renna et al, 2023).…”

Are insects a solution for feeding ruminants? Legislation, scientific evidence, and future challenges

“…A major obstacle to evaluating the inclusion of insect-derived products in ruminant diets is represented by the legislation on the potential risk of mad cow disease (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy; Renna et al, 2022a ). Insect meals are classified as processed-animal-proteins (PAPs) and prohibition on the use currently applies in most high-income countries (e.g., European countries, Japan, and China; Figure 1 ); contrarily, developing and emergent regions usually lack specific legislation on this issue ( Lähteenmäki-Uutela et al, 2017 ).…”