Kansas State University researchers have published new findings on the use of insect proteins in extruded dog food, revealing processing challenges that pet food manufacturers will need to address when including these ingredients in kibble dog food.
The study, which examined black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) meal and cricket flour as alternatives to traditional poultry and fish meals, found insect proteins present unique processing hurdles during extrusion that affect kibble quality and consistency.
Key processing findings
When incorporated at 30% inclusion levels, both insect proteins created distinct manufacturing challenges. According to the research, cricket flour's high fat content led to poor kibble expansion and increased product variability, while BSFL meal's elevated chitin content resulted in kibbles with irregular shapes, sharp edges, and inconsistent texture — either becoming too fragile (requiring less than 7 kg crushing force) or excessively hard (requiring over 13 kg force).
However, the research revealed a more promising approach: using BSFL meal at reduced inclusion rates (10%) alongside poultry meal significantly improved both processing stability and final product quality while maintaining the sustainability benefits.
Flow and processing characteristics
The study used advanced powder rheology testing to evaluate how different protein meals behave during processing. BSFL meal and fish meal demonstrated superior flowability with lower specific basic flow energy (<13 mJ/kg) compared to poultry meal and cricket flour (>14 mJ/kg), leading to better extrusion stability and more consistent products.
Both insect-based formulations produced kibbles with higher bulk densities (328–382 g/L) compared to traditional meat-and-bone-meal products (304–306 g/L), primarily due to their unique compositional profiles including higher fat content in cricket flour and chitin in BSFL meal.
Strategic implementation recommendations
The research suggested that successful integration of insect proteins into pet food manufacturing will require strategic formulation adjustments. Key recommendations include:
- Partial replacement strategy: Using insect meals at moderate inclusion levels (around 10%) rather than complete substitution
- Defatting consideration: Reducing fat content in high-fat insect meals like cricket flour to improve processing performance
- Formulation optimization: Adjusting complementary ingredients and extrusion parameters to accommodate insect proteins' unique characteristics
Materials and methods summary
The research was conducted using commercially sourced black soldier fly larvae meal from Prezero US and cricket flour from Entomo Farms, compared against poultry meal and fish meal from Fairview Mills. Two experiments were designed: the first comparing four different protein meals at 30% inclusion levels, and the second examining incremental replacement of poultry meal with varying levels of BSFL meal (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%). All formulations were nutritionally balanced for adult dog maintenance and processed using standard extrusion equipment, with comprehensive analysis of powder rheology, extrusion performance and final kibble quality characteristics including expansion, texture and physical properties.
The full study, Use of Insect Meals in Dry Expanded Dog Food: Impact of Composition and Particulate Flow Characteristics on Extrusion Process and Kibble Properties, can be found here.
