Insect mass production technologies

Authors: CORTEZ ORTIZ, JUAN - Entomotech; TORRES RUIZ, ALEJANDRO - Entomotech; Morales Ramos, Juan; THOMAS, MENNO - Zetadec Bv; Rojas, Maria - Guadalupe; TOMERLIN, JEFFREY - Texas A&M University

Submitted to: Insects as Sustainable Food Ingredients
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/15/2016
Publication Date: 7/15/2016
Citation: Cortez Ortiz, J.A., Torres Ruiz, A., Morales Ramos, J.A., Thomas, M., Rojas, M.G., Tomerlin, J.K. 2016. Insect mass production technologies. Insects as Sustainable Food Ingredients. 6:154-201.

Interpretive Summary: Insects provide a very promising alternative for the future production of animal protein. Their nutritional value in conjunction with their food conversion efficiency and low water requirements make them a more sustainable choice for the production of food of animal origin. However, to realize their potential as a viable source of food for a growing human population, it is necessary to create the infrastructure for their production, processing, storage, distribution, marketing, and developing legislation for their use as food. None of these steps become relevant unless we have the ability to produce insects in sufficient quantities to supply the potential demands for animal protein. In this chapter, we present and describe the current technologies and state of the art insect production (farming) for feed and food. Nutritional requirements of insects are discussed with methods for developing and producing insect feed formulations. An example of a modern insect farm is presented describing mechanized and automated steps on multiple insect species production. Current methods for producing the yellow mealworm, the super worm, the housefly, the soldier fly, the house cricket, and the greater wax moth are described in detail. An extensive review of the equipment currently available for environmental rearing room control and process automation is presented and discussed. The information presented in this book chapter will benefit the small insect farming industry and we hope it will encourage the creation of new companies and stimulate new research resulting in the development of new technologies of insect mass production.

Technical Abstract: Insects provide a very promising alternative for the future production of animal protein. Their nutritional value in conjunction with their food conversion efficiency and low water requirements, make them a more sustainable choice for the production of food and animal origin. However, to realize their potential as a viable source of food for a growing human population, it is necessary to create the infrastructure for their production, processing, storage, distribution, marketing, and developing legislation for their use as food. But none of these steps become relevant unless we have the ability to produce insects in sufficient quantities to supply the potential demands for animal protein. In this chapter we present and describe the current technologies and state of the art of insect production (farming) for feed and food. Nutritional requirements of insects are discussed with methods for developing and producing insect feed formulations. An example of a modern insect farm is presented describing mechanized and automated steps on multiple insect species production. Current methods for producing the yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.), the super worm (Zophobas morio Fab.), the housefly (Musca domestica L.), the soldier fly (Hermetia illucens (L.), the house cricket (Acheta domesticus L.), and the greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella L.) are described in detail. An extensive review of the equipment currently available for environmental rearing room control and process automation is presented and discussed.