Black soldier fly: Prospection of the inclusion of insect-based ingredients in extruded foods

With the increase in global population leading to an ever-growing food demand, there is a need to produce foods with high nutritional value for both humans and animals. In recent years, insects have been studied as an alternative ingredient for food production in various parts of the world, presenting an alternative source of high-quality proteins with low environmental impact. In particular, the black soldier fly Hermetia illucens shows promise, as an insect with simple rearing requirements, resilience to adverse environmental conditions, and a high rate of conversion of waste material, which they turn into nutrient-rich biomass. All these qualities make it an attractive option for use in food production technologies, such as extrusion cooking. This process allows for minimal steps of preparation for production, which along with its combination of cooking and mixing, results in reduced costs, and has shown positive effects on the reduction or even elimination of pathogens while allowing the inclusion of alternative protein sources in extruded food products.