Extend standardised methods and protocols for insect diet composition to insect energy and nutrient budgets

Abstract

We regard the discussion paper by Bosch et al. (2020) in this journal as a key step in the domain of insects as food and feed (IFF). They propose a first set of standardised methods and protocols to quantify and report diet composition for the black soldier fly (BSF), meant to improve overall rigour and reproducibility. Indeed, without quantification, control and exact reporting of the diet composition, there is no hope of understanding and controlling nutrient and energy allocation in insects, for IFF or for any other purpose. Such understanding is also crucial for assessing the incidence of rearing procedures and related industrial processes on insect performance.