Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

A Chemically Safe Way to Produce Insect Biomass for Possible Application in Feed and Food Production

Truzzi Cristina
* ORCID logo ,
Anna Annibaldi
* ORCID logo ,
Federico Girolametti
ORCID logo ,
Leonardo Giovannini
,
Paola Riolo
ORCID logo ,
Sara Ruschioni
,
Ike Olivotto
ORCID logo ,
Silvia Illuminati
Version 1 : Received: 3 March 2020 / Approved: 4 March 2020 / Online: 4 March 2020 (09:48:16 CET)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Truzzi, C.; Annibaldi, A.; Girolametti, F.; Giovannini, L.; Riolo, P.; Ruschioni, S.; Olivotto, I.; Illuminati, S. A Chemically Safe Way to Produce Insect Biomass for Possible Application in Feed and Food Production. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 2121. Truzzi, C.; Annibaldi, A.; Girolametti, F.; Giovannini, L.; Riolo, P.; Ruschioni, S.; Olivotto, I.; Illuminati, S. A Chemically Safe Way to Produce Insect Biomass for Possible Application in Feed and Food Production. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 2121.

Abstract

Among other species, Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens, HI, Diptera, Stratiomydae) has the great potential as food and feed ingredient in the EU, particularly thanks to its preference for organic waste as growth substrate. The production of insects as livestock feed or as food ingredient requires a strict monitoring of heavy metal content in the growth substrate in order to secure its safe. This study aims to investigate the presence of toxic metals cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic, and nickel in HI prepupae and their growth substrates based on coffee roasting by-product and microlagae Schizochytrium sp. and Isochrysis sp. Analyses were carried out via graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry for Cd, Pb, Ni, and As, and via Direct Mercury Analyzer for Hg. All metal concentrations found in growth substrates were below the legal limit of undesirable substances in animal feed (2002/32/EC). Metals concentrations in HI prepupae were in the range (mg kg-1 wet weight): Cd 0.072–0.084, Pb 0.018–0.026, Hg 0.010–0.032, As 0.036–0.047, Ni 0.18–0.76. HI prepupae accumulate Cd, Pb and Hg, but our results indicate that the risk of exposure to metals from consumption of HI prepupae is relatively low and in compliance with European Union regulations.

Keywords

Hermetia illucens prepupae; Black soldier fly; coffee silverskin; microalgae; toxic metals; bioaccumulation; chemical hazard

Subject

Biology and Life Sciences, Biology and Biotechnology

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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