Mealworm as an alternative protein source: Potential for the processing of fish meal and soybean meal replacement feed on broiler performance

Abstract

The availability of feed is the main requirement in supporting the success of livestock development. One of the feed alternatives that is being discussed worldwide is insects because they have a high protein source. Insects are currently being discussed in the animal husbandry sector because insects include an alternative source of animal protein with high nutritional quality, efficiency and can be provided continuously and have nearly the same nutritional content as fish meal and soybean meal. Problems globally, the search for alternative protein sources to substitute a fish meal and soybean meal has become a major topic in research in the field of animal feed and nutrition. The fluctuating price of feed will affect business in the field of animal husbandry, where we know that the cost of feed contributes nearly 60-70% of the total business operating costs. Based on literature studies show that insects can replace fish meal and soybean meal 25-100%, one type of insect that has the potential as a feed ingredient is a mealworm which contains 32-52% crude protein and low crude fat 7%. Reported that the use of mealworms in the broiler feed to give effect to the performance of broilers from feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and final weight. It was concluded that mealworms were an alternative source of high protein and fat.