Quality Characteristics of Black Soldier Flies Produced by Different Substrates

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Sustainable agriculture endeavors to achieve two primary objectives, namely, the provision of nourishing food and the mitigation of detrimental environmental impacts. The black soldier fly, known as Hermetia illucens, has emerged as a promising solution for sustainable agriculture in recent years. Nonetheless, it is essential to investigate the nutritional prerequisites of black soldier flies, contingent on the source of their diets, such as tofu by-products, food waste, and vegetables, to optimize the conversion ratio. Accordingly, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of tofu by-products, food waste, and vegetables in terms of promoting black soldier fly growth and conversion efficiency. The findings indicate that tofu by-products can be suitably employed for fostering larval growth and nutrient accumulation. ABSTRACT: Black soldier fly (BSF; Hermetia illucens) has a high capacity for amino acids and fatty acid accumulation. This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of tofu by-products, food waste, and vegetables for BSF growth and conversion efficiency. BSFs under tofu by-product treatments showed the greatest weight at d 12 and the harvest period. Moreover, BSF larval weight was greater in the food waste treatment compared with the vegetable treatment at d 12 and harvest. The larva yield result was greater in the vegetable treatment compared with the tofu by-product. The bioconversion rate was higher in the tofu by-product treatment compared with the food waste and vegetable treatments. The protein conversion rate and lipid conversion rate were the highest in the vegetable treatment. The protein yield and lipid yield were greatest in the tofu by-product treatment. The lauric acid content was increased in BSFs fed tofu by-products compared with the food waste treatment. The concentration of C16:1 was the highest in the tofu by-product treatment. The content of oleic acid and α-linolenic acid was higher in BSFs fed tofu by-products compared with the vegetable treatment. In conclusion, the tofu by-products show benefits for larval growth and nutrient accumulation, which can improve larval quality for livestock feed ingredients.