Evaluation of insect meal product (larvae of Hermetia illucens) as a possible protein source in a cat diet

Novel ingredients have the potential to improve sustainability and increase the nutritional value of the pet food. Each of them, before entering the market, should be checked for their quality and safety according to the current regulations. The interest in insects as potential novel protein sources for pets have been increased in the last decade. However, despite several works have been published on dogs, little effort has been done to assess their nutritional value for cats. Even though, the pet food industry can perform their internal test without publishing the data, a thorough and public evaluation of these novel ingredients is advised in order to compare the outcomes. As such, public research should be performed in order to evaluate digestibility and the nutritional characteristics of insects fed to cats. Our study aims to assess the digestibility, faecal characteristics (short-chain fatty acids, ammonia, lactate and faecal pH), palatability, blood parameters (in particular BUN, CREA, SDMA, Ca, P) and microbiota of a complete extruded diet with the only protein source as larvae of Hermetia illucens (Black Soldier Fly) for cats. A total of 8 cats will be enrolled in a crossover design, so that each cat is the control of itself. Diets will be fed for a total of 17 days (10 days of adaptation and 7 days of total faecal collection). The results of this study will improve the knowledge on the interactions between insects and gut health but also create a preliminary assessment for future studies.