Using black soldier fly larvae reared on fruits and vegetables waste as a sustainable dietary source of provitamin a carotenoids. (15th October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Borel, Patrick; Hammaz, Faiza; Morand-Laffargue, Lisa; Creton, Benjamin; Halimi, Charlotte; Sabatier, Damien; Desmarchelier, Charles
• Is Part Of: Food chemistry. Volume 359(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-10-15
• Subjects: β-carotene -- α-carotene -- β-cryptoxanthin -- Insect -- Vitamin A deficiency -- Animal feed -- Human food -- Entomo-conversion -- Hermetia illucens; Food -- Analysis -- Periodicals; Food -- Composition -- Periodicals; 664
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129911
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0308-8146

Abstract

Highlights: Black soldier fly larvae can bioaccumulate significant amounts of provitamin A. α- and β-carotene in larvae were as bioaccessible as those of fruits & vegetables. Larvae can recycle a fraction of vitamin A from organic waste in the food chain. Abstract: We showed that black soldier fly larvae reared on fruits and vegetables rich in provitamin A carotenoids can accumulate significant amounts of these vitamin A precursors. Using a simulated gastro-intestinal digestion model, we demonstrated that α- and β-carotene from the larvae are as bioaccessible as from the fruits and vegetables they were reared on. We calculated that provitamin A carotenoid-rich larvae have the capacity to provide more vitamin A than fruits and vegetables rich in these molecules. Remarkably, the incorporation of usual quantities of these larvae in feed could cover the needs of several production animals for this vitamin. Thus, our findings suggest that rearing black soldier fly larvae on by-products or waste rich in provitamin A carotenoids could be a sustainable strategy to recycle a fraction of vitamin A back into the food chain and could represent a new approach to fight against vitamin A deficiency.