Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) as a Sustainable Protein Source in Ruminant Nutrition: From Circular Economy to Legal and Nutritional Challenges

The escalating demand for animal protein, coupled with the environmental constraints of conventional feed ingredients like soybean meal, has driven the search for innovative, sustainable protein sources. This review evaluates the potential of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) as a protein source in ruminant nutrition, drawing exclusively on data from the available literature. BSFL demonstrate exceptional feed conversion efficiency, transforming organic waste into a larval biomass containing ۴۰–۴۴% crude protein with an amino acid profile comparable to soybean meal. Their production offers profound ecological advantages: negligible land use (۰.۳۶–۳.۶ m² per kg biomass versus ۱.۴۸ m² for conventional feeds) and a low carbon footprint (۰.۳–۳.۰ kg CO₂ equivalent per kg). Moreover, BSFL are central to a circular economy by valorizing low-grade biowaste. For ruminants, a study in goats indicated that including ۵–۱۰% BSFL on a dry matter basis improved antioxidant status and short chain fatty acid production, whereas levels above ۱۰% reduced nutrient digestibility. Despite these benefits, major barriers remain: high industrial production costs, strict legal and food safety regulations (e.g., EU restrictions on growth substrates), and nutritional unknowns such as the presence of chitin and anti-nutritional factors, alongside a lack of in vivo data. In conclusion, BSFL represent a highly promising sustainable protein source for ruminants, but their large-scale adoption requires cost reduction, regulatory harmonization, and further in vivo research to confirm safety and efficacy across different ruminant species and production systems.

کلیدواژه ها:

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) ، Ruminants ، Sustainable protein ، Circular economy