Research and development efforts on optimizing key parameters in industrial insect production

EAAP 2018, 29 August Lars-Henrik Lau Heckmann, Technology manager, DTI

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Insect value chain @DTI

Int value

chain @DTI

x

Main challenges of the insect industry

▪ Upscaling (industrial level)

▪ Legal barriers (EU) in feed and food

▪ Consumer acceptance

Generic production process

Focus areas of DTI Insect Production Team

Danish public R&D projects 2017/18 (>100k €)DTI lead highlighted in bold

Mealworms

▪ inVALUABLE (3.7M €, IFD)

▪ SUSMEAL (1.1M €, IFD, Eurostars)

▪ VALIN (175k €, GUDP)

▪ Wholi Foods (~100k €, IFD)

▪ ENORM (~100k €, IFD)

▪ NLF (135k €, IFD)

▪ Ikadan (135k €, IFD)

Black Solider Fly (BSF)

▪ WICE (390k €, MUDP)

▪ SUPERIOR (375k €, MU<DP)

▪ Green Biorefining (360k €, F&I)

▪ BIOFISK (~100k €, Interreg/EU)

Crickets

▪ GREEINSECT (1.34M €, DANIDA)

▪ Syngja (200k €, IFD)

▪ Synjga2 (185 €, FFI)

>7M € portfolio

Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens)

▪ Assessment of the suitability of different feeding substrates

▪ Optimization of BSFL growth and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR)

▪ Optimization of reproductive output

Performance of BSFL reared on different substrates

Substrates tested(Project)

Applicability FCR (dry matter)

Grass, lucerne and red clover (Green Biorefining)

N/A (tested individually at 100% inclusion level)

-

Spent grains + different carbohydrate-rich by-products (SUPERIOR)

Medium-high -

Dairy by-products (SUPERIOR) Medium -

Beach cast + spent grains (BIOFISK) Low 7-10

Beach cast + catering waste (BIOFISK) Medium 3-7

Catering waste (WICE) High 1.6-2.4

Chicken feed High 2.0-2.8

Optimization of BSFL reared on chicken feed

FCR (dry matter basis) of BSFL batches produced between September 2017-August 2018

Larval biomass (dry matter basis) of BSFL batches produced between September 2017- August 2018

Feeding amount, feeding frequency, feed conditioning, larval density

- 2 4 6 8

10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15kg

/m³

-

1,0

2,0

3,0

4,0

5,0

6,0

7,0

8,0

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

FCR

Reproduction of BSF – optimizing fly density

Production of eggs per female at different fly densities (avg±sd)

Total egg production per cage at different fly densities (avg±sd)

646

546

277

DENSITY 1: 1000

DENSITY 2: 1600

DENSITY 3:2300

No e

ggs/

fem

ale

Adult density

8.8

11.8

8.4

DENSITY 1: 1000

DENSITY 2: 1600

DENSITY 3:2300

Eggs/

cage (

g)

Adult density

Common mealworm (Tenebrio molitor)

▪ Reproduction (adult density and egg production)

▪ Larval growth and biomass output

▪ GHG and heat production

▪ Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) modelling

0

100

200

300

400

0.11 0.21 0.42 0.84

Density (beetles/cm2)

Tota

l num

ber

of la

rvae

0

5

10

15

20

0.11 0.21 0.42 0.84

Density (beetles/cm2)

Larv

ae / fem

ale

/ d

ay

Tenebrio reproduction @ lab-scale

Tenebrio reproduction @ pilot-scale

Week (1-8)*100 g eggs = ~1.7 mill. eggs

T. molitor T. molitor

Tenebrio larval growth and respiration @ lab-scale

Tenebrio larval growth @ pilot-scale

Measurement of key parameters @ pilot-scaleCO2 and other GHG

Day 46-47 (high resolution)GHG emission as CO2-equiv. of T. molitor larvae (age 36-48)

Measurement of key parameters @ pilot-scale Temperature/heat production

Analysis of heat production of T. molitorlarvae (age 42 and 54)

Measurement period(stable heat production)

Insulation box for measurement of heat production

Final output: Calculation of heat production over time applicable for assessment at insect production level

CFD modelling: Simulation of key parameters @ large-scale

3D virtual models simulating,

e.g. temperature (shown) orgases (CO2 and other GHG,

not shown)

Insect value

THANK YOU!

Lars-Henrik Heckmann

E: LHLH@dti.dk

M: +45 7220 1537