The results of feeding insect protein to poultry, pigs and fish will be revealed later this month during the final conference of the European Commission-funded PROteINSECT project which was set up to encourage the exploitation of insects as a sustainable source of protein for animal feed and human nutrition.
Having combined research and farming expertise from China, Africa and Europe to encourage the adoption of fly larve protein into animal feed, PROteINSECT will reveal all during a final event in Brussels on April 27.
The project involves 12 partners from seven countries and is co-ordinated by the UK-based Food and Environmental Research Agency (FERA).
In addition to outlining the project’s international work, findings and results, the one-day conference agenda will provide an opportunity for Belgium-based research manager, Dr Geert Bruggeman of Nutrition Sciences, to reveal the outcomes of feeding trials with poultry, pigs and fish.
The trials have been carried out as part of the following five-point research plan:
• The development and optimisation of fly larvae production methods for use in both developed and developing countries at small and large scale.
• Determination of safety and quality criteria for insect protein products.
• Evaluation of processing methodologies and the evaluation of crude and refined insect protein extracts in fish, chicken and pig feeding trials.
• The determination of the optimal design of insect-based animal feed production systems utilising the results of a comprehensive life cycle analysis.
• To build a pro-insect platform in Europe to encourage adoption of sustainable production technologies to include examination of the regulatory framework.
The conference is free.
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