Conversion of Mixtures of Soybean Curd Residue and Kitchen Waste by Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens L.)

The production of insect biomass from organic waste is a major challenge in terms of reducing the environmental impacts of waste and maintaining feed and food security. The feasibility of the co-conversion of soybean curd residue (SCR) and kitchen waste (KW) to breed black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens) larvae was evaluated so as to enhance biomass conversion efficiency and supply animal feed and allow it to be used in biodiesel production. Co-digestion was found to significantly increase larval yield, bioconversion rate, and bioaccumulation of lipid. Partial least squares regression showed that the conversion of 30% SCR with 70% KW is an appropriate proportion. The appropriate performance parameters of BSF were: survival rate (98.75%), prepupal rate (88.61%), larval biomass (30.32 g fresh and 11.38 g dry mass), bioconversion rate (18.45%), efficiency conversion of ingested food (ECI) (28.30%), and FCR (2.51). Our results show that conversion of mixtures (e.g., SCR with KW) by BSF larvae (BSFL) could play an important role in various organic materials management.

Growth Performance, Waste Reduction Efficiency and Nutritional Composition of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae and Prepupae Reared on Coconut Endosperm and Soybean Curd Residue with or without Supplementation

Black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens) larvae are considered as insects with a high potential to convert organic waste into high-value products. The objective of this study was to investigate the growth performance, waste reduction efficiency, and nutritional composition of BSF reared on different ratios of coconut endosperm (C) and soybean curd residue (S), with or without supplementation, compared to standard diets (Gainesville: G and starter chicken diet: CK). Seven-day-old larvae were randomly divided into eight experimental groups (G, CK, and three different ratios of C and S with or without supplementation) with three replicates with an equal weight of larvae. The supplement contained calcium, phosphorus, amino acids, and a mineral–vitamin premix which was formulated to correlate with CK. Each replicate was terminated, measured, and evaluated when 40% of larvae had reached prepupal stage. The highest larval weight gain was presented in BSF fed CK, followed by those fed coconut endosperm and soybean curd residue at a ratio of 20 : 80 (C20S80), and coconut endosperm and soybean curd residue at a ratio of 50 : 50 (C50S50) without supplementation (numbers after C and S represent their percentage in the formulation; p < 0.001). Harvesting was delayed in the BSF fed C80S20 with and without supplementation (p < 0.001). The number of total larvae and prepupae was not significantly different between groups (p > 0.05). The greatest waste reduction efficiency was observed in the G, C50S50, and C20S80 groups without supplementation (p < 0.001). All groups with supplementation had a higher proportion of ash in both larvae and prepupae compared to non-supplemented groups (p < 0.001), but lower growth performance. The highest percentage of crude protein in larvae was presented in the Gainesville and C20S80 groups followed by the CK and C50S50 groups (p < 0.001). Equal proportions of C and S without supplementation are suggested as a rearing substrate. However, growth performance was lower than for CK; therefore, further studies could investigate cost-efficient techniques to promote this parameter.

Isolation of Bacillus cereus from Soft Soybean Curd, and Kinetic Behavior of the Isolates under Changing Temperature.

This study isolated Bacillus cereus from soft soybean curds and developed a dynamic model to describe the kinetic behavior of B. cereus isolates during transfer and storage. B. cereus were first isolated from soft soybean curds. A mixture of B. cereus isolates was then inoculated in soft soybean curd and the bacterial cell counts were enumerated during storage at 10-30°C. The B. cereus cell counts were fitted to the Baranyi model to calculate growth rate ( µ max ; log CFU/g/h) and lag phase duration ( LPD ; h). These kinetic parameters were then analyzed with a polynomial equation to evaluate the effects of temperature on the kinetic parameters. The developed model was validated with observed values, and the differences between predicted and observed values were determined by calculating the root mean square error ( RMSE ). A dynamic model was then developed with a combination of primary and secondary models to describe B. cereus growth under changing temperature conditions B. cereus was detected in 2 soft soybean curd samples (5.1%) at 0.7 log CFU/g. The µ max ranged from -0.04 to 0.47 log CFU/g/h, and ln ( LPD ) ranged from 0.68 to 0.04 h, depending on storage temperatures. The model performance was appropriate with a 0.216 RMSE and accurately described the kinetic behavior of B. cereus in soft soybean curd samples. These results suggest that B. cereus can contaminate soft soybean curds and that the models developed with the B. cereus isolates are useful in describing the kinetic behavior of B. cereus in soft soybean curd.