Safe insect rearing on yet to be legalised residual streams : policy brief

Residual streams can be upgraded to feed or food by using them as substrate to grow insects. We used Category 2 meat meal from animal rendering, kitchen food scraps, former food from supermarkets, and chicken manure as substrates. These residual streams are nutritionally suitable as substrates for insect rearing, but potential food and feed safety concerns can exist. For instance, microbiological hazards can consist of pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and parasites. These food safety hazards can be mitigated by processing the substrates and insect products as outlined in Regulation (EU) No 142/2011. In case of live insects, their safety should be assured through the use of safe substrates, as post-processing is not possible. Common best practices for feed and food should always be used. These can include control measures like low temperature, low pH (high acidity) and low water activity (e.g., drying). Chemical hazards, such as pesticides, veterinary medicines, and heavy metals, must be controlled to ensure that their levels in insect products do not exceed legal limits, since they can be transferred to or accumulate in insects. Bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) should be used to establish maximum residue limits (MRLs) for chemical hazards in residual streams. Environmental contaminants like dioxins and PFAS were only detected at low levels in the tested residual streams and are not likely to be food safety issues. Other pollutants, such as packaging remnants, may be found in substrates from kitchens and supermarkets, but best practice in unpacking and traceability can mitigate these concerns. Quantitative risk assessments are recommended to assess the risk of other animal diseases in the insect food chain. Such a risk assessment has shown that the risk of prion transfer from insects reared on these residual streams to non-ruminant livestock fed with these insects is very low and unlikely to cause new BSE cases. Manure from animals treated with veterinary drugs should not be used as a substrate for insect rearing, since the high levels present in this material can, to some extent, also be transferred to the insect biomass. Category 2 meat meal is microbiologically and chemically safe for insect rearing without additional pre-treatment. Tracking and tracing residual streams can improve safety, particularly for substrates like former foods from supermarkets and household kitchen scraps. However, control of household kitchen scraps may be difficult in practice. Former food from supermarkets and kitchen food scraps present similar biological hazards. In general, HACCP measures should be implemented throughout the insect-rearing process, from procurement to commercialisation. Residual streams have a good potency to be used in future insect rearing systems to produce safe and sustainable insect proteins. All detailed information of the present research will be published soon in scientific peer-reviewed journals. References A. Dame-Korevaar, H. Fijten, L. Ruuls, J. Boonstra, X. Luinenburg, Q. Dijkstra, M.S.M. Brouwer, R. W. Hakze - van der Honing, O. Haenen , A.F.G. Antonis (In preparation) Uptake and survival of relevant feed- and food-pathogens in black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens). E.F. Hoek-van den Hil, A.F.G. Antonis, M.S.M. Brouwer, M.E. Bruins, M.A. Dame, J.W. van Groenestijn, O.L.M. Haenen, Y. Hoffmans, N.P. Meijer, T. Veldkamp, A.G. Vernooij, M.J. Appel (2022) Use of insects for food and feed: Scientific overview of the present knowledge on insect rearing, use of residual streams as substrates, and safety aspects, Wageningen Report: WFSR 2022.013. https://edepot.wur.nl/571273 N. Meijer, K. van Zadelhoff, T. Veldkamp, M.E. Bruins, A.F.G. Antonis, J.W. van Groenestijn, M. Appel, H. Brust, N. te Loeke, M. Tienstra, G. van den Borg, L. Leenders, E. de Lange, E.F. Hoek – van den Hil (in preparation) Chemical and microbiological food safety of black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) reared on four different residual streams. N. Meijer,