Petsect: edible insects as a source of protein in dog and cat food
Petsect examines how edible insects can be a nutritious alternative to the large quantities of imported protein in dog and cat food. The goal is to develop tasty animal feed that benefits our pet’s health sustainably.
Searching for an alternative to imported protein
The quantity of protein consumed in Europe is huge. A large part of our protein comes from other countries. If we want to become less dependent on imported protein, we need to look for other protein sources. Edible insects could be a solution. Edible insects could be a solution. These critters provide quality protein, can be produced locally and allow us to take full advantage of a low-value waste stream.
Using edible insects has been approved in legislation. Still, insects are hardly used in animal feed. The concept is rather new in Europe, so there are still some fundamental unanswered questions.
Petsect aims to gather knowledge about using edible insects as ingredients for animal feed. We also included processing techniques, nutritional value, digestibility, and the effects on the immune system in this project.
Tasty animal feed based on insect fractions
Petsect’s goal is to develop dog and cat food based on edible insects with a high nutritional value and additional benefits for gastrointestinal health of pets. The project mainly focused on yellow mealworms and black soldier fly larvae. We used fractions of both as the main source of protein or as a functional ingredient (chitin, lipid, or protein-based).
To achieve a tasty result, the project will have a phased approach:
- Food analyses
- Evaluations of the digestibility and palatability
- Evaluations of the impact on gastrointestinal health
- Sustainability analyses, from breeding edible insects to developing animal food. That will allow us to guarantee a sustainable final product.
VITO’s role in Petsect
It’s VITO’s job to produce multiple ingredients for dog and cat food at a pilot scale. We screen the composition of those ingredients and their bio-active qualities. The goal is to develop fractions rich in protein, fractions enriched with lipids and products derived from chitin.
Funding
Petsect is funded by the FWO – Research Foundation Flanders.
