Learn · Article
Research view on heat treatment for supermarket food waste used as a substrate for BSFL
Is supermarket food waste a relevant organic waste source / substrate for black soldier fly larvae to upcycle back to animal feed?
01 · The question
The question
Does supermarket food waste need special treatment before being fed to the larvae, does it contain pathogens that compromise the process in any way?
02 · Research review
Research review
Research review: “Effect of heat treatment on microbiological safety of supermarket food waste as substrate for black soldier fly larvae”
03 · Highlights
Highlights
Highlights:
- Supermarket food waste is suitable substrate for rearing black soldier fly larvae.
- High waste reduction of supermarket food waste by rearing black soldier fly larvae.
- Heat treatment of supermarket food waste is necessary for microbiological safety.
- Substrate composition influences the effect of heat treatment on food pathogens.
- Heat treatments applied on supermarket food waste did not influence larval growth.
04 · Key findings
Key findings
Key findings:“[…] rearing experiments with black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) on supermarket food waste (SFW) resulted in high larval mass, bioconversion efficiency and waste reduction compared to Gainesville diet.
Additionally, heat treatment of SFW had no negative or positive effect on the growth characteristics and performance of the BSFL.
It can be concluded that rearing BSFL can be a suitable solution for processing supermarket food waste, and an appropriate heat treatment can be used to obtain microbiologically safe waste without eliminating necessary nutrients for BSFL rearing.”
05 · Full text
Full text in Science Direct
Full text in Science Direct:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0956053X23002957
Keep exploring
Related topics and pages
Read next
- What to measure in a BSF pilot — how a bounded trial validates a substrate and process assumption
- Thoughts from our startup and insect experience — testing substrate recipes against lab research, from Manna's own rearing notes
- Can parasites be a threat to BSF operations? — the microbiological-safety neighbour: a documented pathogen case in a BSF colony
Next step
Check the waste stream and its treatment
Manna can help check whether a supermarket food waste stream, and the heat treatment it needs, fits a specific BSF rearing case.