title: Impact of substrate contamination with mycotoxins, heavy metals and pesticides on the growth performance and composition of black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) for use in the feed and food value chain.
abstract: Edible insects have emerged as an alternative and sustainable source of high-quality, animal-derived protein and fat for livestock production or direct human nutrition. During the production of insects, substrate quality is a key parameter to assure optimal insect biomass gain as well as the safety of feed and food derived from commercially reared insects. Therefore, the influence of a realistic substrate contamination scenario on growth performance and accumulation behaviour of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL; Hermetia illucens L.) was investigated. Newly hatched larvae were fed on a corn-based substrate spiked with heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb), mycotoxins (aflatoxins B1/B2/G2, deoxynivalenol, ochratoxin A, zearalenone) and pesticides (chlorpyrifos, chlorpyrifos-methyl, pirimiphos-methyl) under defined breeding conditions (10 days, 28°C, 67% relative humidity). The extent of contaminants' bioaccumulation in the larval tissue as well as the effect on growing determinants were examined. The applied heavy metal substrate contamination was shown to impair larval growing indicated by significantly lower post-trial larval mass and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Cd and Pb accumulation factors of 9 and 2, respectively, were determined, while the concentrations of other heavy metals in the larvae remained below the initial substrate concentration. In contrast, mycotoxins and pesticides have neither been accumulated in the larval tissue nor significantly affected the growing determinants in comparison with the control. The use of BSFL as livestock feed requires contaminant monitoring - especially for Cd and Pb - in the substrates as well as in feedstuff containing BSFL to ensure feed and food safety along the value chain.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Technology , University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) , Vienna , Austria.
authors.forename: Benedict
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5974-5627
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Purschke
authors.affiliation: a Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Technology , University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) , Vienna , Austria.
authors.forename: Rafaela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scheibelberger
authors.affiliation: b AGES GmbH, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety , Institute of Animal Nutrition and Feed , Linz , Austria.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Axmann
authors.affiliation: b AGES GmbH, Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety , Institute of Animal Nutrition and Feed , Linz , Austria.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.affiliation: a Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Food Technology , University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) , Vienna , Austria.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jäger
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D020387:Food Chain; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D007814:Larva / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis*; D012843:Simuliidae / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D009183:Mycotoxins; D010575:Pesticides
keywords: Black soldier fly larvae; contaminants accumulation; feed and food safety; heavy metals; mycotoxins; pesticides; rearing; substrate contamination