January | February 2014

Closing the food waste loop: a new angle for insect-based feeds

The International magazine for the aquaculture feed industry

International Aquafeed is published six times a year by Perendale Publishers Ltd of the United Kingdom.All data is published in good faith, based on information received, and while every care is taken to prevent inaccuracies, the publishers accept no liability for any errors or omissions or for the consequences of action taken on the basis of information published. ©Copyright 2014 Perendale Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owner. Printed by Perendale Publishers Ltd. ISSN: 1464-0058

INCORPORAT ING f I sh fARm ING TeChNOlOGy

Withincreasingglobaldemandfor affordable, high-quality,protein-richfoodlikefish,itisnowonderthataquacul-

tureisoneofthefastestgrowingsectorsofthefoodindustry.Astheindustrycontinuesto grow, the search for stable supplies offeed ingredients continues. Current com-mercial sources of protein can be costly,resource-intensive and of variable quality.Suppliesoffishmealandfishoilputpressureon wild fish stocks. Corn, soybeans, palmkerneloilandcoconutoilcreatefeedingre-dientsattheexpenseofvaluableagriculturallandandfreshwater.Overthepast10years,prices for these commoditieshave reachedrecord highs both in terms of their priceand volatility, forcing feed manufacturersand farmers to actively search for ways tosubstitute products as a means to smoothoutandlowertheirinputcosts.

While on a rafting trip in the CanadianYukon,world-renownedenvironmentaladvo-cate and broadcaster, Dr David Suzuki, andEnterraCEOBradMarchantbegandiscussingaquaculture’s ongoing feed challenge. WhenBrad queriedDr. Suzuki onwhat else couldbe fed to fish, it turnedout theanswerwasontheendoftheirfishingrods: insects.BackinVancouver,thetwoconceivedtheideaforaprocessthatwouldprovideaviablealterna-tiveforfeedingredientsandhelpaddressthechallengeofadiminishingglobalnutrientsup-ply.Andtheydiditbyharnessingthelifecycleof a beneficial, non-invasive insect. AndrewVickerson,thechieftechnologyofficer,joinedthe team and together they have com-mercialised a unique natural process that

couldchangeglobalaquaculturebyprovidingsustainable, local and consistent quality feedingredientsderivedfromfoodwaste.

The black soldier flyHermetiaillucens,alsoknownastheblack

soldier fly, is a common and widespreadfly species. They are also nature’s nutrientrenewalexperts.Theadult flydoesnot feed– theyspendtheir five tosevenday lifespanreproducing, and are not considered a pest.Moreimportantly,thelarvalstageoftheblacksoldierflymustprovideallofthenutritionfortheadultfly,andthereforecontainsconsider-able valuable protein and oil content. Thelarvae feed on most organic waste, includ-ing fruits and vegetables – which offers theopportunitytoutilisetheblacksoldierflylar-vae to consume foodwaste. Simultaneously,they create high value protein and oils thatcan be used to feed fish, livestock andpets,and potentially replace wild-caught fishmealandfarmednutrientsasfeedingredients.

Theinsectshavebeenusedsuccessfullyinhome composting and small-scale food andanimalwastemanagement fordecades, typi-callyemployedatfarmsandhobbyfarmsformanureandfarmwasteconversiontolarvae,whichcanthenbefedtochickens,livestockorfishpondsatthefarm.Thelarvaedigestate,or‘frass’,canbeusedasanatural fertiliser,alsoatthesamefarmlocation.However,attemptsto industrialise the process have been ham-peredbyrelianceonwildpopulationsofblacksoldier fly adults. Enterra’s scientists havesuccessfullydomesticatedandcommercialisedthe species’s life cycle on a variety of foodwaste sources, which eliminates the relianceonwildpopulationsofblacksoldierfly.

The Enterra processEnterra’s proprietary technology consists

ofahatcheryandafoodwastebioconversionunit. This clean, contained, artificial environ-mentoptimisestheblacksoldierfly’slifecycleto produce valuable animal and plant feedingredientsfromafoodwastedietconsistingofmainlyfruitsandvegetables.

The fly’s lifecycle is well understood byentomologists, and the speed by which thenaturalcycletakesplacecanvarybymonthsdependingonthequalityof the foodsourceandlocalenvironment.Forthisreason,Enterradevelopeda100percentcontrolledenviron-ment to ensure high predictability for theproductionofeggsandlarvaedestinedforthebioconversion units. The hatchery uses con-trolled,artificiallightingandmatingconditionstoproduceblack soldier flyeggs in captivity,365daysayear,anywhereintheworld.

In the bioconversion units, larvae fromthe hatchery eat pre-consumer food waste.The stage takes about three or four hours,andfeedstuffsaresourcedfromlocalgrocerystores and food processing facilities. Since2009,Enterra’sscientistshavetesteddifferenttypes and quantities of food waste to cre-ate theoptimal diet, tomaximise the larvaegrowth rates and nutritional content whileensuringasafeandpredictableoutputquality.Enterrahastestedawiderangeoffoodwastesourcesandhas foundthatanoptimumdietofmixedfoodwasteresults in fastergrowthrates.

ThepreferreddietintheEnterraprocessisprimarily(upto80percent)fruitsandvegeta-bles,with somebreading,waste grains, dairyproductsandsmallamountsoffishwastealsoincluded in the feed mix. Enterra has found

Closing the food waste loop: a new angle for insect-based feedsby Brad Marchant, CEO, Enterra Feed Corporation, Vancouver, Canada

28 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | January-February 2014

FEATURE

January-February 2014 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | 29

that the protein profile of the grown larvaeis not dependent on feed mix, but that thefatty acid profile is more dependent on thefeedstockused.Thefoodwastecanbefromstale-datedandspoiledsources,asanyfungalor bacterial contaminants are consumed bythe larvae and do not report to any of thefinalproducts–nature’snutrientrenewalandup-cyclesystemat itsbest.Enterradoesnottreat yard waste, manure products or post-consumer food waste (garbage) – due toregulatorycontrols.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agencymust certify the production process andproducts, so theonly sourceof feedstock istraceablepre-consumerfoodwastefromthefood processing, packaging and distributionindustries. The first pilot-scale bioconversionunits,built in2010,werecapableofconvert-ingupto25kg/m2offoodwasteperdayonacontinuousfeedbasis.Thepilotbioconver-sion units were used to optimise operatingconditions such as the feed rate, operatingbeddepth,evaporationrate,harvestingmeth-ods, and to develop the engineering scale-up criteria for commercial scale operations.Concurrently,pilothatcheryunitsweretestedtooptimisetheblacksoldierflyreproductioncycle and determine operating criteria toensure a genetically diverse adult popula-tion on a sustainable basis, as well as pro-videengineeringcriteriaforcommercialscale

hatchery units. In 2012, a commercial scaledemonstration plant came online. Enterra’scommercial demonstration plant is modular,builtinmodulesoffivetonnesperdaycapac-ity,hasproven theengineering scale-up, andconfirmed production conversion rates fromfood waste into protein, oils and a naturalfertiliseratcommercialscale.

Towards commercial viability?Enterra is now in the construction phase

ofanexpandedcommercialproductionfacilityin Langley, British Columbia. The new facil-ity, scheduled to open in 2014, will initially

process 100 tonnes of food waste per day,or 36,000 tonnes per year. For each 100tonnes of food waste, which contains 80percentwatersubsequentlyevaporatedinthebioconversionunits,theEnterraprocessyieldsapproximately seven tonnes of meal and oilandseventonnesofnaturalfertilizer.

Mature larvae are harvested,washed andcooked to create nutritious, sustainable pro-tein and oil products: Enterra Meal, whichcontains 60 to 65 percent protein and 15percentoil;EnterraFeedOil,whichisover99percent oil and contains 20 percent Omegaunsaturated fatty acids; and whole dried

28 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | January-February 2014 January-February 2014 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | 29

FEATURE

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presenttheirviewsonfoodsafetyissues with algae as a link fromnutritiontohealthinbothhumansandanimals.

Accompanied by Breton pol-iticians, exper ts from ZoopôleandseveralBretonSMEs,Olmixhighl ighted the qual ity andwealthofseaweedsonthecoastof Brittany, and especiallywithinthemarineprotectedzoneParcd'Iroise.

Asian feed and food chainplayerswereveryattentivetotheargumentsofexpertsinnutritionand animal health, including DrFrédéricBernardoftheZoopôlePloufragan and INRA’sDrHenriSalmon.After a presentation byDr Bernard on the need to de-

medicalise the global livestocksector, Dr Salmon presentedon the immunomodulatory andanti-inflammatory properties ofseaweed.

The audience was even moreimpressed when representa-tivesfromParcd'Iroiseexplainedthat high-quality marine algaefields off Molène provide abounty of active ingredients forseveral well-known pharmaceu-tical companies. Food securityis a major concern in SoutheastAsia,wherelivestockproduc-tion isexpanding.Freeingupthe use of antibiotics in thesector,nutraceuticalornutri-tion-healthcompaniesshouldbe using algae as a natural

ingredient–particularly incoun-trieswherealgaeisalreadyonthedailymenu.

Hervé Demais, consultant vet-erinarian forOlmix, extendedhisspeech to explain thatwhile live-stockproductionisgrowingrapidly,aquacultureproductionhasotherissues to confront, especiallythe growing need for a replace-ment for fishmeal.Again,algaecanprovidepartoftheanswer,hesays,becausesomeofthemarerich inproteins.

ThealgaeofBr ittany–fromBreton water s of incompa-rable quality – represent anocean of oppor tunit ies forsusta inable agr icu l ture andfeeding nine bi l l ion humansin2050,headded.

The seminarwasconcludedwith maître cuis inier DidierCor lou of the Hanoi restau-rant laVer t ica le present ingsome of h i s seaweed d i shcreat ions for de legates totr y.

table 2: title: "Vibrio concentration in the intestine of shrimp supplemented with different levels of MFeed and challenged with Vibrio harveyi"

treatment Vibrio concentration in the intestine (x104 CFU/9)

Before challenge

3 days after

challenge

5 days after

challenge

Control 1.67 ± 0.13

193 ± 32

165 ± 41

0.2% 1.37 ± 0.34

164 ± 41

131 ± 12

0.4% 1.31 ± 0.21

135 ± 13

130 ± 17

P-Value 0.124 0.055 0.269

Vibrio concentration in the intestine of shrimp supplemented with different levels of MFeed and

challenged with Vibrio harveyi

Survival rate of shrimp supplemented with different levels of MFeed and challenged with Vibrio harveyi

January-February 2014 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | 11

Aqua News

EMS Forum:Managing the Shrimp Epidemic

First reported in Asia in 2009, Shrimp Early Mortality Syndrome has caused major production problems in the cultivation of shrimp in countries such as China, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

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larvaecalledGrubbinz.Enterrahasexploredanumberofwaystoseparatetheproteinandfattyacidsfromthewholeblacksoldierflylar-vae(orGrubbinz™)andselectedacommonfood processing method. The objective wastominimiseoperatingcostswhilemaximisingquality,scalabilityandhandlingoftheproteinand feed oil products. Separating the larvaeintoseparatemealandoilproductsprovidesfeedmanufacturerswithgreaterinclusionflex-ibilityandalongershelflife.

During three years of product develop-mentwork,Enterra,togetherwithindepend-ent laboratories, testedblacksoldier flymealand oil samples generated by the prototypebioconversion units and mapped their nutri-tionalprofiles.DatagatheredtodateindicatethattheEnterraMealproductcompareswellwithfishmealandrenderedpoultrymeal.TheEnterraFeedOilproductcompareswellwiththemostvaluable fattyacidproducts: fishoiland soybean oil, and is a valuable substitutefor palm kernel oil and for coconut oil. Thenatural fertiliser contains approximately 10percentN-P-Kandisanexcellentorganicsub-stituteforchemicalandanimalbasedfertilisersandsoilamendmentproducts.

Initial digestibility testing of a pelletisedaquaculturefeedusingEnterra’smealproduct,conducted independently by the CanadianDepartmentof Fisheries andOceans (DFO)asasalmonfeedingredient,yieldedpromisingresults. Using a closed-contained test facilityoperated by DFO, using standard feed pel-letisingmethods,multiple inclusion rates andfaecal matter tracer methods to determineproteindigestibilityrelativetoaknownstand-ard, the initial test results showed that thedigestibilitywascomparabletoothersourcesofanimalprotein,at78percent.Morerecentdigestibility testing, also conducted by DFO,has shown that the Enterra Meal product is82 percent digestible by Atlantic salmon. Bycontinued optimisation of the protein andoil separation process, the protein digest-ibility could be increased to 85–90 percent– a digestibility level found only in fishmeal.

Further independent digestibility testing is inprogressforsalmonandtrout.

A zero waste systemGlobally, more than 1.5 billion tonnes of

food–over30percentoftotalproduction–islost or wasted every year during agriculturalproduction, post-harvest handling, process-ing, packaging, distribution and consumption.While communities around the world use avariety of residential and industrial programsto divert this food waste from landfills, manyof these methods are sub-optimal for therecovery and monetisation of the substantiallevelsoffoodnutrientsthatremaininthefoodwaste. Landfills, waste-to-energy facilities andcompostingoperationsremovefoodnutrientsfromthefoodcycle,whereastheEnterrasys-temconvertsfoodwastedirectlybacktofood.TheEnterraprocessmaximisesthenutritionalrecoveryfrompre-consumerfoodwaste,pro-viding sustainable feed ingredients at a stableprice,whilereducingfoodwastedisposalcostsforbusinessesandmunicipalities.

Enterra’s technology can process largequantitiesof foodwaste inhours, comparedwith composting, which can take up to 180days. Independent engineering verificationindicates that the Enterra process is moreefficientthananaerobicdigestionforvaluablenutrientrecovery,withthepotentialfortriplethe revenue from the same waste inputs atapproximatelyone-tenththecapitalcost.

The‘GreenEconomy’isfrontandcentreinVancouver,andthecityhassettheambitiousgoalofbeing the ‘greenestcity’ in theworldby 2020. With a ban on food waste intoMetroVancouver landfills coming into effectin 2015, regional food retailers, distributorsandproducersarewelcomingtheopportunityto supportEnterra’s renewable food system.TheCityofVancouverandMetroVancouverhaveindicatedsupportforanewfoodwaste-specificprocessing facility in the region.Bothare looking forwaystoreducethefeespaidtodumporganicwaste.

TheEnterraprocessisatruly‘zerowaste’

system as the frass, or larvae digestate, pro-ducedbythe larvaeduringthe foodconver-sion process is turned into a concentratednatural soil conditioner. This natural fertiliserhasahigherN-P-Kcontent (around10per-cent) than other soil amendment products,such as compost and vermiculture soil. Thefertiliserproducthasbeentestedextensivelywithorganicfarmproducers,andfield-testing,including greenhouse applications, continuesthroughoutBritishColumbia.Nutritionaldata,recent field tests and the company’s owngerminationandgrowthteststodateindicatethat Enterra’s natural fertiliser product is anexcellentaddition to thenatural soil amend-ment market and has unique pest controlattributes.

No liquid waste or special gas emissionsareproducedfromEnterra’sprocess.

Closing the food waste loopAs our global population continues to

grow, putting increasing strain on availablenutrients, fresh water and arable land, theability to recover and reuse nutrients fromfoodwaste quickly and cheaplywill becomea critical part of food production proc-esses. Enterra’s process recovers nutrientsthat would otherwise end up in landfill orcompost facilities, and converts this foodwasteintoaviablealternativefeedingredientforfish,livestockandpets.Soybeanandwild-caughtfishingredientscanbecostly,resource-intensive,unsustainableandofvariablequality.Using sustainable inputs, Enterra creates ahigh-qualitydomesticproductwiththeaddedbenefitofstable,longtermpricing.

While addressing the increasing demandfor food, Enterra also decreases demandforlandfills,compostingandlong-haulwastetrucking. By diverting food waste from thelandfill and from composting facilities, costsassociatedwithwastedisposal are lowered,and a ‘zero waste’ product is produced.Enterra closes the loop on food waste tocreate renewable food for animals andplants.

30 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | January-February 2014

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January-February 2014 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | 31

30 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | January-February 2014 January-February 2014 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | 31

FEATURE

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Successful moisture control in aquatic feeds

Current challenges and opportunities in amino acid nutrition of salmonids

Volume 17 I s sue 1 2 014 - J ANuARY | F eBRuARY

INCORPORAT ING f I sh fARm ING TeChNOlOGy

Whisky by-products: – a sustainable protein source for aquaculture

Closing the food waste loop: – a new angle for insect-based feeds

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