Black soldier fly larvae does not compromise broiler meat quality

Abstract

The demand for novel commercial protein sources in replacement of soybean and fishmeal in livestock feed has largely increased as a result of a costly soybean and fish meal-based diets. Black soldier fly larvae (BSFl) can partially or totally replace soybean and fish meal in broiler diets without compromising bird performance (Maurer et al., 2015; Vilela et al., 2019). However, the impact of BSFl on meat quality is just as relevant as bird performance, as the final product (chicken meat) has to be accepted by consumers. Thus, it was hypothesized that the composition of the BSFl would affect meat quality of broiler meat fed high inclusion rates of BSFI.