Prickly Pear Cladodes as an Alternative Source of Water in Small- and Medium-Scale Yellow Mealworm Rearing

Simona Errico (), Paola Sangiorgio, Stefania Moliterni, Alessandra Verardi, Anna Spagnoletta, Salvatore Dimatteo and Ferdinando Baldacchino
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Simona Errico: Laboratory of Bioproducts and Bioprocess, ENEA—Trisaia Research Centre, S.S. Jonica 106, Km 419+500, I-75026 Rotondella, Matera, Italy
Paola Sangiorgio: Laboratory of Bioproducts and Bioprocess, ENEA—Trisaia Research Centre, S.S. Jonica 106, Km 419+500, I-75026 Rotondella, Matera, Italy
Stefania Moliterni: Laboratory of Bioproducts and Bioprocess, ENEA—Trisaia Research Centre, S.S. Jonica 106, Km 419+500, I-75026 Rotondella, Matera, Italy
Alessandra Verardi: Laboratory of Bioproducts and Bioprocess, ENEA—Trisaia Research Centre, S.S. Jonica 106, Km 419+500, I-75026 Rotondella, Matera, Italy
Anna Spagnoletta: Laboratory of Bioproducts and Bioprocess, ENEA—Trisaia Research Centre, S.S. Jonica 106, Km 419+500, I-75026 Rotondella, Matera, Italy
Salvatore Dimatteo: Laboratory of Bioproducts and Bioprocess, ENEA—Trisaia Research Centre, S.S. Jonica 106, Km 419+500, I-75026 Rotondella, Matera, Italy
Ferdinando Baldacchino: Laboratory of Bioproducts and Bioprocess, ENEA—Trisaia Research Centre, S.S. Jonica 106, Km 419+500, I-75026 Rotondella, Matera, Italy

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 7, 1-12

Abstract: New solutions are compulsorily needed to reconcile the enormous and ever-growing request for protein for human nutrition and, at the same time, reduce conventional meat production. This epochal challenge can find a valuable aid to a winning solution in insect rearing. The use of insects as feed and food, far from being a definitive solution to global food shortages, can offer new protein sources and perfectly fit circular economy precepts, yet more so when insects feed on by-products from the agri-food industry. In this scenario, Tenebrio molitor (TM) is a concrete alternative. Therefore, making its rearing more sustainable is a prime objective. In this paper, we evaluated the possibility of replacing usual plant sources of wet supplementation used in TM rearing with sustainable alternatives, including the cladodes of prickly pear ( Opuntias ficus indica , OFI), to reduce the frequency of administration, thus minimizing related labor costs. The alternatives were tested for water content, dehydration, and shelf life to select the best-performing ones. On the selected matrices, we evaluated the preference of the larvae and their palatability because a matrix may be convenient and sustainable but not appreciated by consumers. The results showed that OFI cladodes have high moisture and a long shelf life and are appreciated by the larvae that prefer them to other matrices. Thus, OFI can replace the conventional wet source in TM rearing, at least in areas where this cactus grows wild and is not difficult to obtain.

Keywords: Tenebrio molitor rearing; Opuntia ficus indica; alternative protein source; human food; novel foods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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