Study adds evidence for black soldier fly meal in broilers

CURRENT FULL VERSION: A newly published paper in Veterinary Sciences adds fresh evidence to one of poultry nutrition’s most closely watched questions: how far black soldier fly larvae meal can go in replacing soybean meal in broiler diets without compromising bird performance or product quality. In this study, researchers evaluated black soldier fly larvae meal as a soybean meal substitute in Ross 708 broilers, tracking growth, carcass traits, meat quality, and blood biochemical responses across graded replacement levels. (mdpi.com)

The interest here is bigger than any single feed ingredient. Soybean meal remains a cornerstone protein source in broiler rations, but the industry has been looking harder at alternatives because of price swings, supply-chain exposure, and sustainability pressures. Black soldier fly has emerged as one of the leading candidates because its amino acid profile can be comparable to conventional protein ingredients, and the insect can be produced on a relatively small land footprint. At the same time, the literature has been mixed: some studies show stable or improved performance at lower inclusion levels, while higher replacement rates have sometimes reduced growth performance or altered carcass outcomes. (mdpi.com)

That mixed record is important context for the new paper. The Veterinary Sciences study used 160 ten-day-old broilers assigned to diets replacing soybean meal with black soldier fly larvae meal at 0%, 20%, 40%, or 60% on a 100% equivalent basis. While the full article frames the ingredient as a promising sustainable protein source, related recent work helps explain why the results matter: a 2024 microbiome study reported that low inclusion levels of black soldier fly larvae meal had minimal disruption to cecal bacterial communities, while higher levels significantly altered community composition, echoing earlier performance concerns at 50% to 100% replacement. Another broiler study found positive production and health effects when black soldier fly meal was used more conservatively, at 3% to 5% inclusion. Supporting that lower-inclusion picture, a large Animals study in 1,750 Ross 308 broilers found that adding full-fat Hermetia illucens or Tenebrio molitor meal at 2% or 4% did not affect growth, feed intake, feed conversion, or mortality, and actually increased breast yield versus controls, although some meat and blood effects emerged, including lower breast pH and higher cooking loss in the HI4 group, dose-related thigh fat deposition, higher total and HDL cholesterol in TM-fed birds, and shorter ileal length with TM. (mdpi.com)

The broader evidence base is moving in a fairly consistent direction. A 2024 PubMed-indexed study reported that replacing soybean meal up to 12% with Hermetia illucens larvae improved growth performance, blood hematology, gut morphometry, and meat quality traits in broilers. A separate pilot study found Hermetia meal could replace soybean meal without deteriorating meat quality. More recently, a 2026 paper in Veterinary Medicine and Science suggested inclusion up to 12% improved growth performance and gut microbiology, although higher levels also shifted meat fatty acid profiles in less favorable directions. There is also a useful caution from low-soybean-meal research itself: in one Animals study, reducing soybean meal by 10% increased mortality, raised feed intake in the later growth phase, reduced ether extract availability, and altered cecal microbiota, including higher relative abundance of Campylobacterota and Helicobacter. Raffinose supplementation partly reversed some of those microbial changes and showed a trend toward lower mortality, but it also reduced some measures of energy and dry matter utilization. For clinicians and technical advisers, that reinforces a practical point: insect meal may support performance, but formulation details still matter, especially when meat quality, intestinal function, and metabolic markers are part of the evaluation. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

On the regulatory side, insect protein is no longer a fringe concept. In the EU, processed animal proteins derived from approved insect species, including black soldier fly, have been authorized for poultry feed since 2021, provided production and substrate rules are met. Those rules still matter commercially, because insect substrates cannot include prohibited materials such as manure or catering waste, and supply chains must meet animal by-product controls. That means the science is advancing in parallel with a more defined compliance framework, which could help move insect meal from pilot projects into broader feed use where economics allow. (ipiff.org)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals working with poultry operations, this is less about novelty than risk management. Feed is the largest cost in broiler production, and any credible soybean meal alternative draws attention. But from a veterinary standpoint, the question isn’t simply whether birds gain weight. It’s whether a new ingredient supports gut integrity, immune resilience, carcass quality, blood chemistry, and predictable flock performance across real-world conditions. The emerging evidence suggests black soldier fly larvae meal can do that at lower or moderate inclusion rates, but that pushing inclusion too high may introduce tradeoffs tied to digestibility, chitin content, lipid composition, and microbiome shifts. The newer supporting literature adds nuance: low-level insect inclusion can preserve performance and even improve breast yield, yet still change water-holding capacity, lipid deposition, serum cholesterol fractions, or intestinal measurements; and evidence from other species suggests there may be threshold effects for gut health even when headline growth metrics stay acceptable. In grey mullet, for example, partially defatted black soldier fly meal did not depress growth across test diets, but the highest inclusion level was associated with worse intestinal histology, while a lower 10% inclusion appeared optimal and was linked to improved intestinal morphology and innate immune stimulation. (mdpi.com)

Industry reaction in the formal sense is still limited around this specific paper, but the surrounding research conversation is clear: insect protein is being treated as a serious alternative feed ingredient, not a niche curiosity. Even so, cost remains a gating issue. Multiple market and industry sources note that black soldier fly meal still tends to price above soybean meal, which means adoption will likely depend on regional economics, coproduct value, sustainability targets, and whether health or performance benefits can justify the premium. In other words, the biology may be arriving before the economics fully do. (proquest.com)

There is also a broader animal-health angle worth watching beyond broilers. In a recent piglet study, daily supplementation with live Tenebrio molitor larvae improved early feed efficiency and growth, increased final body weight in one standard-protein group, and helped piglets on a lower-protein diet perform comparably to controls on a higher-protein ration. The larvae were rapidly consumed, and supplemented piglets had lower diarrhea incidence, fewer respiratory disorders, and higher vitality scores, without adverse effects on digestibility or routine serum metabolic markers at day 42. That does not directly answer the soybean-replacement question in poultry, but it supports the idea that insect ingredients may have practical value as functional feed tools as well as alternative protein sources.

What to watch: The next phase will likely center on commercial validation, not proof of concept, including dose optimization, ingredient standardization, substrate-related quality control, and side-by-side economic comparisons with soybean meal under production conditions. Expect more attention, too, on microbiome data, intestinal morphology, meat fatty acid and water-holding outcomes, and whether insect meal works best as a partial replacement rather than a full one. There is also room for comparison with other feed strategies aimed at product quality or gut function, including phytogenic additives such as Stevia rebaudiana extract, which has shown measurable effects on broiler meat quality traits in yellow-feathered birds. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)