Insect Biorefinery: insects as sustainable protein source for pet foods 

Hui Suan Ng1,*

1Zelcos biotech Sdn Bhd, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia 

†Presenter: Hui Suan Ng (Grrace)

*Corresponding author’s e-mail: suan0329@gmail.com

Insect biorefinery is a promising alternative for sustainable waste management with low ecological impact, involving the conversion of agricultural waste into valuable end-products such as proteins, lipids, chitin, and frass. Tenebrio Molitor, which is commonly known as yellow mealworm also known is an attractive candidate for insect biorefinery because of their capability of degrading various agro-waste and high content protein and unsaturated fatty acids. The great nutrition value of mealworm results in vast application of the yellow mealworms in various industries. The approval by the European Union (EU) which recognized mealworm as a safe food source for human consumption indicating the potential growth of mealworm farming industry, further strengthen the interests of stakeholders on the mass production of the mealworm protein. The development of a sustainable approach, using insect biorefinery, to convert agro-waste to usable nutrients and food products offers a climate-resilient farming option that promotes the attainment the sustainable resilience and a circular economy. Insect biorefinery contributes to sustainable economic growth and development of the agricultural sector and movement towards a net zero economy globally [1].

Keywords: Insect Biorefinery; Circular Economy; Tenebrio Molitor

Reference

[1]  Kee, P.E., Cheng, Y.S., Chang, J.S., Yim, H.S., Tan, J.C.Y., Lam, S.S., Lan, J.C.W., Ng, H.S. and Khoo, K.S. Insect biorefinery: A circular economy concept for biowaste conversion to value-added products. Environmental research, 2023, 221, p.115284.