A group of researchers from the University of Pisa has developed a particular animal feed: it is a flour obtained from insects.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves himA group of researchers from the University of Pisa has developed a particular feed for animals: it is a flour made from insects.
The FEEDS project kicked off on 23 October 2019 at the Avanzi Research Center of the University of Pisa, with a conference entitled "The use of insects in feed: present and future".
The aim of the project is to use agricultural waste - such as broken cereals and vegetable husking residues - to breed insects from which to obtain high quality protein feed for animals. Thanks to this system it will be possible to "transform waste into a resource, thus also creating a new activity within farms", explains the professor. Elisabetta Rossi from the University of Pisa, FEEDS scientific referent.
The researchers of the University of Pisa involved in the project, from left, Sabrina Ciampa, Rosalba Risaliti, Alice Cappucci, Elisabetta Rossi
Dr. Rossi also argues that the use of insects to feed animals does not currently find obstacles, as could happen for humans:
“While the direct use of insects by man today encounters cultural obstacles, their use in animal feed could contribute to sustainability of livestock production, and indirectly affects us as consumers. Spreading adequate knowledge in this area can contribute to correct, informed and sustainable food education ".
All that remains for the researchers of the University of Pisa is to optimize and fine-tune the flour production process in order to create a high quality feed suitable for placing on the market. Specifically, the FEEDS project involves the construction of a plant capable of using agricultural waste for the breeding of two species of insects, the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) and the mealworm (Tenebrio molitor).
Only at a later stage will we focus on the production of dried and ground larvae and pupae to be transformed into protein meal for fish, companion animals and poultry species.
Alessandra Certomà
