Dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls in insect processed animal proteins used as a feed – is there a health risk?

Abstract

Insects have all the characteristics necessary to become an alternative source of protein in feed. However, as with feed materials of animal origin, insect processed animal proteins (IPAPs) can also accumulate persistent organic pollutants such as dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Therefore, the aim of the present study is to complete the information on dioxin and PCB concentrations in feeds and compound feeds containing insect protein from mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) and the black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens). For the IPAPs samples of both mealworms and the black soldier flies, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) results ranged from 0.05 to 0.10 ng WHO-TEQ/kg feed at 12% moisture, for the total PCDDs/PCDFs/dl-PCBs ranged from 0.07 to 0.12 ng WHO-TEQ/kg feed at 12% moisture, and for non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (ndl-PCBs) from 0.04 to 0.43 μg/kg feed at 12% moisture. Additionally, an experiment was conducted in which broilers were fed feeds containing IPAPs in an attempt to assess the risk to food consumers regarding dioxins and PCBs. Our studies showed that IPAPs from mealworms (T. molitor) and black soldier flies (H. illucens) will not pose a risk in terms of dioxins and PCBs.