ICAR-CIBA inked MOU with Ms.Ultra Nutri India, Pvt. Ltd., Chennai for harnessing insect Black Soldier Fly (BSF) (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal as an ingredient in aqua feeds for better growth, immunity and disease resistance

27^th March 2023, Chennai

ICAR - Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai is partnering with Ms.Ultra Nutri India, Pvt. Ltd., by signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore the possibilities of using BSF meal which is rich in Anti-Microbial Peptide (AMP) as a functional ingredient in aqua feeds for improving the growth, immunity, and disease resistance on 27th March 2023.

Ms. Ultra Nutri India, a biotech startup aims to provide sustainable and scalable proteins for aquaculture feed formulations.

Through this MoU it is envisaged to use the remarkable nutrient-recycling capacity of the black soldier fly to convert the staple organic waste to high-quality protein in a short production time. The novel substrate used to culture the BSF larvae results in higher antimicrobial peptides and this specific attribute will be harnessed in the diet of shrimp for improved immunity and growth.

Dr. K K Lal, Director, ICAR-CIBA, underlined that this effort will undoubtedly provide a cost-effective alternative protein source to the fish meal and there is a scope to modify the fatty acid profile of the larvae that would also help in finding an alternative to fish oil.

Dr. Nitish Satyanarayanan, Director, Ms.Ultra Nutri India, Pvt. Ltd explained the plans for cost-effective production and scaling up the BSF meal production using the novel substrate.

Dr K. Ambasankar, Principal Scientist and team leader for the feed technology, briefed about the significance of this MoU and outlined scope of its use in aquaculture feed production sector.

(Source: ICAR - Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, Chennai)