Black soldier fly meal shows promise as soy substitute in broilers

A new broiler nutrition study is putting black soldier fly larvae meal back in the spotlight as a possible soybean meal substitute. Published March 18, 2026 in Veterinary Sciences, the paper evaluated whether black soldier fly larvae meal could replace soybean meal in Ross 708 broiler diets without compromising growth, meat quality, carcass traits, or health-related blood markers. The authors concluded that the ingredient shows promise as an alternative protein source in broiler feeding programs. (mdpi.com)

The timing fits a broader push across animal agriculture to diversify protein inputs beyond soybean meal. Soy remains a standard broiler protein source, but it carries cost, land-use, and supply-chain pressures that have fueled interest in insect-derived feed ingredients. Over the past several years, black soldier fly has emerged as one of the most studied candidates because of its protein content, lipid profile, and potential fit within circular production systems. At the same time, the research record has been mixed, with outcomes varying by inclusion rate, processing method, bird age, and overall diet formulation. (publish.csiro.au)

In the new study, 160 ten-day-old broilers were assigned to four diets in which black soldier fly larvae meal replaced soybean meal at 0%, 20%, 40%, or 60% on a 100% equivalent basis. The paper focused on growth performance, feed efficiency, carcass traits, meat quality, and blood biochemical responses. While the available abstract-level reporting does not provide every numeric outcome, the study’s framing and conclusions indicate that the replacement strategy was feasible within the tested system and did not undermine the main production and health measures the authors tracked. (mdpi.com)

That finding aligns with part of the recent literature, but not all of it. A 2025 Frontiers in Animal Science paper reported that black soldier fly larvae meal did not negatively affect broiler growth performance, while a 2022 broiler study indexed in PubMed found measurable effects when soybean meal was partially or completely replaced with commercial black soldier fly meal. A broader meta-analysis in Animal Production Science concluded that black soldier fly inclusion appears safe up to about 10% of the diet, with performance benefits depending on dose and feeding duration. Other researchers have suggested that higher inclusion rates may run into digestibility constraints, including the effects of chitin on protein utilization in monogastric species. (frontiersin.org)

Industry and regulatory developments help explain why this research is getting attention beyond academia. In Europe, the Commission amended feed-ban rules in August 2021 to allow certain processed animal proteins, including insect-derived material, in feed for non-ruminant farmed animals such as poultry and pigs under specified conditions. In the US, AAFCO committee materials indicate the definition for dried black soldier fly larvae was updated to cover use in poultry and swine feed, provided the larvae are raised on feed-grade materials. Those changes don’t settle questions about price, formulation, or supply, but they do make commercial adoption more plausible than it was a few years ago. (food.ec.europa.eu)

Why it matters: For veterinarians, technical services teams, and poultry health advisers, the practical takeaway is that insect meal is moving from novelty to formulation option, but it still needs careful case-by-case evaluation. The new paper supports the idea that black soldier fly larvae meal can help reduce soybean dependence without obvious harm to bird performance or measured health indicators. Still, the wider evidence base suggests success will depend on inclusion level, ingredient consistency, amino acid balancing, fat content, chitin load, and flock context. In other words, this is less a story about a one-for-one soy replacement than about expanding the toolbox for ration design, gut health strategy, and resilience planning. (mdpi.com)

There’s also a sustainability angle that may matter increasingly to integrators, retailers, and pet parents following food-system claims. Insect protein is often positioned as a way to reduce dependence on imported soy and make use of lower-value side streams, but the economics still have to work at scale. That means veterinary professionals may increasingly be asked not just whether these diets are safe, but whether they’re consistent, auditable, and compatible with welfare, health, and production targets in real commercial settings. (europarl.europa.eu)

What to watch: The next phase will likely focus on commercial-scale trials, clearer economic comparisons with soybean meal, and more precise guidance on where black soldier fly larvae meal performs best, especially at moderate inclusion rates rather than aggressive replacement levels. Regulatory progress and ingredient standardization will be just as important as biology in determining whether this stays a promising niche or becomes a routine part of poultry feed formulation. (publish.csiro.au)