ARIMNet2 Young Researchers Seminar Cristina TOMÁS (tomalmcr@itacyl.es) “How to better involve end-users throughout the research process to foster innovation-driven research for a sustainable Mediterranean agriculture at the farm and local scales.” 30 May - 3 June 2016, Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier (IAMM), France OPTIMIZATION OF AQUACULTURE FEEDS THROUGH THE VALORIZATION OF INSECT MEAL AS ALTERNATIVE RAW MATERIAL TO FISH MEAL Hello everybody! If you don’t remember…my name is Cristina Tomás, and I’m working in a research aquaculture centre from the agrotechonological institute of Castilla y León, in Spain. The project which I’m going to show…is about the ‘optimization of aquaculture feeds, using of insect meal as raw material’. This project was presented for a national call in Spain, and it was recently approved by the minister of economy and competitiviness. So I’ll explain what are the current research lines…and the future possibilities to expand the project. Cristina TOMÁS (tomalmcr@itacyl.es) Aquaculture Research Centre-Agrotechnological Institute of ‘Castilla y León’, Spain 1

FEEDING THE WORLD IMPORTANCE OF AQUACULTURE SECTOR World’s population > 9 billion people by 2050 Fish provides 17% intake of animal protein/capita Aquaculture is a promising alternative  fastest growing Capture fisheries dominate world output  aquaculture provides 47% Source: FAO, 2013. “World Food and Agriculture” ~50% FISH FEED 40-45% PROTEIN FISHMEAL PRICES The world’s population is forecast to exceed 9 billion people by 2050.. Globally, fish provides about 17% of the population intake of animal protein. The aquaculture provides almost 50% of all fish destined for direct human food consumption, and is the fastest-growing animal food production sector. So it’s a promising alternative to feed the world. But the controversy is that most of the captured fish are not use for direct human consumption…but are processed into fishmeal and oil for use as animal food (mainly for carnivorous aquatic species). The captured fish is influenced by oceanographic conditions and the marine stocks are limited. So the rapid growth of aquaculture, the fluctuations in the fishmeal price and the pressure on the natural fish populations…have led to the search for alternative protein source. Aquaculture represents the fatest-growing, animal food production sector aSo the global agricultural production will have to increase by 60% from its levels variations in the capture of anchoveta, a specie extremely susceptible to oceanographic conditions determined by El Niño (in the south-east Pacific)…but the marine stocks are limited. UNSTABLE PROTEIN SOURCE FISHMEAL ARIMNet2 Young Researchers Seminar, 30 May - 3June 2016, Montpellier, France

OBJECTIVE & HYPOTHESES Search for an alternative to fish meal protein Vegetable protein Microalgae Animal protein SUSTAINABLE, STABLE and ECONOMICALLY VIABLE Insect protein Edible insects are natural renewable resource used as food by humans. (Africa, Asia and Latin America; Barroso et al., 2014) Viable solution for the deficit of animal protein in feed (FAO, 2014) Rich in proteins and lipids (species/stage): high biological value and rapid growth Sustainable source of protein Lower environmental impact than conventional livestock Can be fed with waste generated by humans (recycling materials) Hypotheses And that is the objetive of this project…in aquaculture different raw materials to substitute partly the fishmeal is being studied. Protein from plants…from microalgae or even from animal protein (with restrictions…I refer to use by-products from fisheries). In this sense, the insect protein would be a good alternative source protein. Edible insects have played an important role in human nutrition in Africa, Asia and Latin America. And their introduction into the food chain has not received much attention until recently. From the nutritional point of view…are rich in proteins and lipids. Although it depends on the species or stage of lifecycle. Also, it is a sustainable source of protein because most of them are omnivorous and they can be fed with waste or different by-products; and the facilities to produce insects has a lower environmental impact than conventional livestock. Huge variability in body comosition, there is a great diversity of insect species (70-75% of animal species), from different ecosystems, with different diets and stages of development (larval, pupa, ninpha or imago). It is considering the extraction of chitin from insect meal, because will allow a better use of nutrients by fish. The combination of work lines is unlimited ARIMNet2 Young Researchers Seminar, 30 May - 3June 2016, Montpellier, France

METHODOLOGY 1) Determine the better substrate for insect growing  ACTUAL PARTNERS The Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute (IPMA, Portugal) Agrotechnological Institute of ‘Castilla y León’ (ITACyL, Spain) Quality of final product Acceptance by consumers  University of Granada (Granada, Spain)  Aquaculture Centre ‘Vegas del Guadiana’ (Extremadura, Spain)  Aquaculture Research Centre-ITACyL (Castilla y León, Spain)  University of Almería (Almería, Spain) Growth parameters Digestibility parameters Health and welfare fish  MEALFOOD EUROPE S.L.  Agrotechnological Institute of ‘Castilla y León’ (ITACyL, Spain) Rearing conditions/Biomass characterization Proximal composition Fatty acids Aminoacids 1) Determine the better substrate for insect growing This is the general scheme about the methodology. Three different fish species, each one will be feed with two levels of insect meal in the diet. To stablish which is the better insect species for each fish species and what level. In the first phase the better substrate for insect growing will be determined, then the effect on the growth parameters of fish, use of proteins, and the effect on the fish health. Finally, after the growth trial, the quality of final product will be evaluated, not only the final composition but also the acceptance by consumers. In this project, these are the actual partners…. In the first phase will participate the MEALFOOD company (now is producing insects for food pet) and our institute. In the growing trials: the university of Almería (for the trials with gilt-sea bream), Vegas del guadiana (with tench) and our research centre (with trout). And the university of granada will carry out the study of different indicators in fish health and welfare. And the final phase, will be carried out by The Portuguese sea and atmosphere Institute together with us. 5 For that will be studied 5 diets: control diet (similar to any commercial diet with fishmeal), and four diets with two different levels of inclusion (according to previous studies) , for each insect specie. So in the project…the better substrate for these insect species…according to the optimal final biomass composition, will be determined. And then the effect on the growth parameters of fish, use of proteins and the effect on the fish health will be studied In the characterization of insect meal will participate the company MEALFOOD (now is producing insects food of pet…) and our institute. In the growing trials with fish…will participate the university of Almería (for the trials with gilt-sea bream), Vegas del guadiana (with tench) and our research centre (with trout). Moreover, the university of granada will carry out the study of different indicators in fish health and welfare. Finally, the study of quality of final product will be carried out by The Portuguese sea and atmosphere Institute together with us. 2) Determine the optimal inclusion level of insect meal/specie 3) Evaluate the effect on the quality of final product (flesh) ARIMNet2 Young Researchers Seminar, 30 May - 3June 2016, Montpellier, France

EXPECTED RESULTS The results will be useful for insect farmers 1) Partly substitution of FISH MEAL by INSECT MEAL Without negative effects on growth, health fish and quality of final product (flesh) 2) Sustainable production of INSECT MEAL as food for AQUACULTURE Daily feeding rate/biomass produced  ECONOMICALLY VIABLE Optimization of the insect production/reproduction  STABLE and RENEWABLE source of protein Can be feed with great variety of by-products SUSTAINABLE There are not specific European Regulations about use of insects as feed We expect a partly substitution of fish meal without negative effects on fish. And to obtain an alternative raw material to fish meal, which it is a stable and renewable source of protein, sustainable, and of course, economically viable. There are not specific European Regulations about use of insects as feedd…so the results wil be useful for the insect farmers. , so instead,  the farmers must use common sense and it make their own  measure of quality. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said insect pathogens potentially harmful to humans are most likely to come from rearing and processing not intrinsically associated with the insect istself. Optimization of the conditions for the life cycle of the insects Knowledge of the biotic and abiotic factors necessary to allow the controlled mass larval development Proper cleaning systems and disease prevention Can be fed with a great variety of by-products and organic waste from sources such as food, animals and vegetation European legislation…allowas a little percentage of insect fragments in food because they are an unavoidable defect. But insects themselves, yet do not fall into a specific category. The opinion indentifies the lack og knowledge related to possible hazards when insects are used as food and feed and notes that there are no systematically collected data on animal and human consumption of insects. The possible presence og biological and chemical hazards in food and feed products derived from insects would depend on the production methods, what the insects are fed on (substrate), the lifecycle stage at which insects are harvested, the insect species, as well as the methods used for further processing. EFSA said most of the scarce available data on pathogens concerned insects’ ability to act as a vehicle for pathogens like Salmonella and Campylobacter. However, the risk of transmission of these bacterua could be mitigated through effective processing. The regulatory status around insects has been somewhat uncertain in the EU. NOVEL FOOD: ‘history of safe food use in a third country’ means that the safety of the food in question has been confirmed with compositional data and from experience of continued use for at least 25 years in the customary diet of a significant number of people in at least one third country, prior to a notification referred to in Article 14; Under the proposal ingredients from countries outside of the EU, ‘third countries’ will be given greater ease to market since data showing a 25-year history of safe use in these countries will be valid. According to a FAO report, insects are already part of the traditional diets of at least two billion people with over 1,900 species reportedly used as food. The results will be useful for insect farmers ARIMNet2 Young Researchers Seminar, 30 May - 3June 2016, Montpellier, France

PROPOSED PARTNERSHIP POTENTIAL FUTURE PARTNERS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AGRICULTURE AGRO-FOOD INDUSTRY LIVESTOCK WASTE MANAGEMENT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES This is our research line…but the research lines are unlimited… So there are potential future partners, around this research line. As I said before…the insects can be fed from different solid organic waste…this implies different areas as: WASTE MANAGEMENT, AGRICULTURE, AGRO-FOOD INDUSTRY, AND LIVESTOCK (management of manure). In addition (moreover, furthermore…) the insects are rich in fat so could be used as biodiesel. And then the fraction rich in protein could be used for aquaculture too, or for other livestock. All these research lines…with a good management can provide incomes from different stakeholders and generate job opportunities. For my part, that’s all…and thank you very much for your attention INVOLVEMENT OF STAKEHOLDERS ARIMNet2 Young Researchers Seminar, 30 May - 3June 2016, Montpellier, France

Thank you for your attention!