Mosquitoes harvested from rice fields as alternative protein ingredient in broiler feed: insights from the first pilot study

• Published in: Journal of economic entomology Vol. 117; no. 4; pp. 1289 - 1300
• Main Authors: Tsafrakidou, Panagiota, Papoti, Vasiliki T., Giannakakis, Efstathios, Christaki, Androniki, Miaoulis, Michael, Oppert, Brenda, Cohnstaedt, Lee W., Arsi, Komala, Donoghue, Annie M., Vergos, Evangelos, Chaskopoulou, Alexandra, Zinoviadou, Kyriaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: US Entomological Society of America 08-05-2024; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Aquatic insects; Culicidae; Diet; Environmental impact; Food security; Food sources; Harvesting; Livestock; Livestock feeds; Meat; meat quality; Mosquitoes; Organoleptic evaluation; Pilot projects; Population studies; Poultry; Poultry feed; Protein sources; Proteins; Rice fields; Sensory properties; sensory traits; Soybeans; SPECIAL COLLECTION: INSECTS AS FEED AND FERTILIZER: SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR FOOD WASTE AND ANIMAL PRODUCTION PRACTICES; sustainability; mosquitoes; meat quality; poultry feed; sustainability; sensory traits
• ISSN: 0022-0493; 1938-291X; 1938-291X
• DOI: 10.1093/jee/toae096

Global population continuous growth and increasing consumers' demands for protein-rich diets have posed sustainability challenges for traditional livestock feed sources. Consequently, exploring alternative and sustainable protein sources has become imperative to address the environmental burden and resource limitations associated with conventional ingredients. With respect to food security assurance, insects have emerged as a promising solution due to their exceptional nutritional profile, rapid reproduction rates, and low environmental impact. In the present pilot study, 10% of a soybean meal-based diet was replaced by adult mosquitoes harvested from rice fields. The objective was to assess the effect of this partial substitution on meat quality aspects and consumer acceptance. A total of 40 Cobb hybrid broiler chickens were randomly placed in a control and a mosquito-fed group. The study was conducted for 42 days and carcass physicochemical, nutritional, and microbiological characteristics, as well as sensory attributes were evaluated. Overall, results regarding quality attributes were comparable between the control and the treatment group. The organoleptic evaluation showed that the thighs from the mosquito-fed group had the highest overall consumer acceptance. These outcomes indicate that mosquitoes could be successfully used as a protein source for broiler feed without compromising the quality and acceptability of the meat.