TY - JOUR
T1 - Conversion of mycotoxin-contaminated maize by black soldier fly larvae into feed and fertilizer
AU - Gold, M.
AU - Niermans, K.
AU - Jooste, F.
AU - Stanford, L.
AU - Uwamahoro, F.
AU - Wanja, M.
AU - Veldkamp, T.
AU - Sanderson, A.
AU - Dos Santos Nunes, V.
AU - Mathys, A.
AU - van der Fels-Klerx, H.J.
AU - Hoek-van den Hil, E.F.
AU - Nishimwe, K.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Globally, large amounts of various crops such as cereals, oilseeds, nuts and spices are contaminated with mycotoxins during pre-harvest, postharvest handling, processing and/or storage. Mycotoxin contamination results into economic and health issues, and valorisation options of contaminated crops are urgently needed. The aim of this research was to evaluate whether quality feed and fertilizer can be safely produced from naturally mycotoxin contaminated crops using black soldier fly larvae (BSFL, Hermetia illucens L.) under realistic field conditions in East Africa. Naturally mycotoxin contaminated maize (corn; Zea mays L.) was used as a model due its prevalence as food and feed and utilized by BSFL together with local agri-food by-products at a research facility in Rwanda. To assess the influence of the initial maize mycotoxin contamination and maize inclusion, larval diets with three mycotoxin contamination levels and two maize inclusion levels were tested. BSFL were tolerant against the high mycotoxin concentrations (e.g. 99.4 μg aflatoxin B1 kg dry mass-1) as the presence of mycotoxins in the substrate did not affect BSFL mass at harvest. Product safety was assessed by quantifying the presence of 38 common and emerging mycotoxins and metabolites in the maize, substrates and BSFL products (e.g. larvae and frass). The results show that it is possible to produce feed and fertilizer with BSFL considered safe within the European Union and East African legal limits with maize contaminated with mycotoxins typical for East Africa. Thereby, this research works towards the safe recycling of nutrients from mycotoxin contaminated maize within the food system in East Africa and beyond.
AB - Globally, large amounts of various crops such as cereals, oilseeds, nuts and spices are contaminated with mycotoxins during pre-harvest, postharvest handling, processing and/or storage. Mycotoxin contamination results into economic and health issues, and valorisation options of contaminated crops are urgently needed. The aim of this research was to evaluate whether quality feed and fertilizer can be safely produced from naturally mycotoxin contaminated crops using black soldier fly larvae (BSFL, Hermetia illucens L.) under realistic field conditions in East Africa. Naturally mycotoxin contaminated maize (corn; Zea mays L.) was used as a model due its prevalence as food and feed and utilized by BSFL together with local agri-food by-products at a research facility in Rwanda. To assess the influence of the initial maize mycotoxin contamination and maize inclusion, larval diets with three mycotoxin contamination levels and two maize inclusion levels were tested. BSFL were tolerant against the high mycotoxin concentrations (e.g. 99.4 μg aflatoxin B1 kg dry mass-1) as the presence of mycotoxins in the substrate did not affect BSFL mass at harvest. Product safety was assessed by quantifying the presence of 38 common and emerging mycotoxins and metabolites in the maize, substrates and BSFL products (e.g. larvae and frass). The results show that it is possible to produce feed and fertilizer with BSFL considered safe within the European Union and East African legal limits with maize contaminated with mycotoxins typical for East Africa. Thereby, this research works towards the safe recycling of nutrients from mycotoxin contaminated maize within the food system in East Africa and beyond.
UR - http://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.24526774
U2 - 10.1163/23524588-00001006
DO - 10.1163/23524588-00001006
M3 - Article
SN - 2352-4588
VL - 10
SP - 757
EP - 770
JO - Journal of Insects as Food and Feed
JF - Journal of Insects as Food and Feed
IS - 5
ER -
