Abstract
Livestock welfare is an important condition for obtaining high-quality and safe food. According to the legislation edible insects are classified as livestock; and for this reason it is necessary to comply with the edible insect welfare conditions. This article focuses on selected welfare conditions for mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) breeding, with special focus on the fat content influenced by different breeding temperature (17 °C, 23 °C and 28 °C). Maximum fat content 24.56% was observed at 23 °C. To obtain maximum fat content this appears to be the optimal breeding temperature. Another evaluated aspect was the nutritional stress and a way of killing, and their impact on fat content, which showed to decrease with the nutrient stress. The most decline was detected towards the end of the observation period. The analysis showed that in terms of preservation of the fat content, the best way is killing by freezing, due to the metabolism slowdown. We also analysed the content of heavy metals in a mealworm larvae using cyclic voltammetry with subsequent evaluation. In the measured sample concentrations of heavy metals did not exceed the maximum allowable concentration of heavy metals in this commodity. From this point of view mealworm appears to be a safe food.
Highlights
Animal welfare is a condition, when the animal organism tries to deal with the surrounding (Broom, 1986)
According to the legislation edible insects are classified as livestock; and for this reason it is necessary to comply with the edible insect welfare conditions
While different studies show the general influence of temperature on the edible insect nutritional value, available sources do not state any specific dependence of nutritional values on the breeding temperature (Oonincx and van der Poel, 2011)
Summary
Animal welfare is a condition, when the animal organism tries to deal with the surrounding (Broom, 1986). Webster (2016) described the five freedoms of animal welfare. Welfare is defined as a state of fulfilment of all material and immaterial conditions, which are prerequisites for the health of the animal, and are in accordance with its environment (Angelovičová and Polačková, 2015; Doležal, Bílek and Dolejš, 2004). It is freedom from hunger, thirst, discomfort, pain, injury, disease, fear and distress, and the expression of normal behaviour (van Huis et al, 2013). According to the Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009 insect breeding is considered as breeding of common livestock. Because of this it is necessary to follow the rules of insect welfare as well as with other livestock. That’s why Eisemann et al (1984) suggested, that insect should be given the benefit of the doubt (van Huis et al, 2013)
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