Black soldier fly meal shows promise, with limits, in broilers

Black soldier fly larvae meal may have a workable place in broiler diets, but the newest paper suggests the ceiling matters. In a March 2026 study in Veterinary Sciences, researchers fed 160 Ross 708 broilers diets in which black soldier fly larvae meal replaced soybean meal at 0%, 20%, 40%, or 60% on an equivalent basis during the starter, grower, and finisher phases. They reported that low to moderate replacement supported acceptable performance, while higher replacement levels were associated with poorer body weight gain and feed conversion, with the study also tracking carcass traits, meat quality, and blood biochemistry. The findings fit a broader pattern in the literature: black soldier fly ingredients are drawing interest as a more sustainable protein source, but outcomes depend heavily on inclusion rate, processing, and formulation. (mdpi.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals and poultry nutrition teams, this is less a story about replacing soybean meal outright and more a reminder that insect ingredients still need the same disciplined formulation work as any other novel protein. A recent meta-analysis found black soldier fly inclusion appeared safe up to about 10% overall, while other broiler studies suggest low inclusion can be tolerated without hurting growth: in one Animals trial, adding 2% or 4% full-fat Hermetia illucens or Tenebrio molitor meal did not affect feed intake, feed conversion, growth, or mortality, and breast yield was actually higher in insect-fed birds, though some meat-quality and lipid-profile shifts were noted. By contrast, a 2023 Poultry Science study found broilers performed similarly to controls at lower substitution levels but lost ground at high replacement, especially at full substitution. There is also a cautionary parallel from soybean reduction work: an Animals study found that simply cutting soybean meal by 10% increased mortality and feed intake in broilers and reduced ether extract availability, underscoring that moving away from soybean meal can have nutritional consequences unless diets are carefully balanced. In the U.S., the regulatory picture is also important: AAFCO materials indicate dried black soldier fly larvae definitions now cover use in poultry feed, provided the larvae are raised on feed-grade materials, which makes practical adoption more plausible but still keeps sourcing and compliance front and center. (publish.csiro.au)

What to watch: Expect follow-up work on optimal inclusion thresholds, digestibility, economics, and whether defatted or more precisely formulated black soldier fly products can widen the margin for soybean replacement without compromising growth or meat quality. That question is showing up beyond broilers too: in grey mullet, a partially defatted black soldier fly meal supported growth across diets, but intestinal and spleen findings suggested a practical threshold, with the 10% inclusion diet looking most favorable and higher levels showing signs of worsening intestinal condition. (mdpi.com)