Waste2NewProducts: Black Soldier Fly Farming

In many countries, insects are used as a source of protein for human nutrition or for feeding and breeding livestock, as they can be easily reared on a variety of biological substrates due to their frugality. The black soldier fly (BSF), particularly its larvae, are capable of processing a wide range of organic waste due to their robustness and high conversion efficiency of up to 70%. However, to ensure optimal growth conditions for BSF larvae, it is of immense importance to properly compose the feeding substrate. For this reason, rapid and efficient analytical methods are being developed to quickly assess the supplied organic waste stream. In addition, the suitability of insect biomass as a raw material for the production of various materials is being tested for its physical and chemical properties.