The use of the black soldier fly as a high-quality protein source in broiler feed.

Prices of protein sources in animal feeds have been under severe pressure in recent years due to the heavy protein shortage in the EU. A possible alternative, environmentally friendly and economically responsible form of protein production is the use of insects. They effectively convert low-quality biomass into high-quality proteins. Despite the technical feasibility of processing insects in animal feed, insects are not yet used as a source of protein in animal feeds in Flanders. The present project addressed the introduction of the black soldier Fly (Hermetia Illucens) prepops as a new, high quality and sustainable protein source in broiler feed.