Relevance of insect proteins in ruminant nutrition: A critical review

[en] Environmental and demographic pressures have driven researchers to explore alternative protein sources for soybean meals and fish meals in ruminant nutrition. Among these alternatives, insects have emerged as a promising option due to their high protein content and well-balanced amino acid profiles. However, most studies identify regulatory restrictions on processed animal proteins as the primary limitation to their inclusion in ruminant diets. This critical review aims to go beyond regulatory concerns by highlighting the physiological and functional limitations of using insect proteins in ruminant nutrition. Special emphasis is placed on the unique aspects of ruminant nitrogen metabolism, the current limitation due to the cost of these proteins, the issue of feed–food competition, and the current methods used to assess insect protein value. In doing so, this review seeks to provide a more nuanced understanding of the challenges and potential of insect-based proteins for sustainable ruminant feeding systems.

Disciplines :

Agriculture & agronomy
Animal production & animal husbandry
Entomology & pest control

Author, co-author :

Luttenschlager, Hugo ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département GxABT > Entomologie, Phytopathologie et Productions Innovantes (EPPI)

Beckers, Yves ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département GxABT > Animal Sciences (AS)

Francis, Frédéric ; Université de Liège - ULiège > TERRA Research Centre > Entomologie, Phytopathologie et Productions Innovantes (EPPI)

Caparros Megido, Rudy ; Université de Liège - ULiège > TERRA Research Centre > Entomologie, Phytopathologie et Productions Innovantes (EPPI)

Language :

English

Title :

Relevance of insect proteins in ruminant nutrition: A critical review

Publication date :

01 September 2026

Journal title :

Animal Feed Science and Technology

ISSN :

0377-8401

Publisher :

Elsevier BV

Volume :

343

Pages :

116918

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Development Goals :

2. Zero hunger
12. Responsible consumption and production

Additional URL :

https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0377840126002877?httpAccept=text/xml

Name of the research project :

ASTIPPOR

Funders :

Région wallonne

Funding number :

D65–1438

Funding text :

Mr. Hugo Luttenschlager is financially supported by the Walloon Region (Service Public de Wallonie; DGO6) from Belgium, as part of the ASTIPPOR project (D65–1438) obtained under the Walloon Recovery Plan (https://www.wallonie.be/en/plans-wallons/plan-de-relance-de-la-wallonie)

Available on ORBi :

since 23 June 2026

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