A black soldier fly laying eggs in corrugated cardboard.

Insect-egg feed supplement promises more protein

A Chinese company has developed a nutritionally-dense protein from insect eggs that it claims improves overall health, feed intake and feed conversion rates in fish and other animals.

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Guangdong-based Bioforte Biotechnology said the supplement can be made from a range of insect eggs, including black soldier fly and yellow mealworm, according to a report by Feed Navigator.

The company, which has filed an international patent for the product, said the product was suitable for fish, shrimps and crab as well as pigs, chickens and ducks.

Higher fat concentration

It said that although there was a range of insect products on the market, many were relatively low in proteins and fatty acids.

Its product contained at least 40% more protein than dried worms, had a “reasonable amino acid composition” and a higher fat concentration than that found in insects, insect larvae or cockroaches.

Feed Navigator reported that Bioforte’s overseas marketing manager, Lesley Lei, said the product was a proven one but that it had not yet been produced on a large scale for industry.