Asia, the world’s most populated continent, is home to around 61 percent of the world’s population. China has 1.44 billion people and India has 1.39 billion, making up 19 percent and 18 percent of the global population, respectively. Overpopulated places confront several issues, the most of which arise from climate change or human overexploitation of natural resources, but increasing sea levels are one of the most serious threats, according to a recent study published in Nature Communications.
Agriculture and farming industries are struggling to meet the demands on food sources caused by the rapidly increasing population size. These ultimately lead to more facilities being built in order to produce food to feed the population. Hence, it is mandatory to be able to get sustainable protein alternatives to conventional food sources. Black Soldier Fly larvae are native to Malaysia, and do not carry any pathogenic diseases. They also don’t attack crops, humans or animals. The Black Soldier Fly larvae eat a wide range of materials, and gain 9000x their body weight in just 10 days. Reproducing every 30 days, the Black Soldier Fly grows extremely quickly, in high density, making them ideal for industrial production.
Black soldier fly larvae have a unique combination of nutrients, rich in protein, lipids, Omega 3 and 9 fatty acids. This protein source also has a lower environmental impact in the farming and harvesting process. Antimicrobial enzymes and proteins required for pathogen recognition and binding have already been discovered in BSFL. Chitin is an antimicrobial that targets a wide range of bacteria, but it also possesses fat-burning properties in an animal’s diet. By incorporating black soldier fly larvae meal into pet food, we will be able to produce sustainable yet highly palatable dog food for dog lovers as an option.
On the 18th of May 2022, Pet World Nutritions Sdn Bhd is proud to announce a strategic partnership with SPCA Selangor and Nutrition Technologies Sdn Bhd to embark on the birth of Malaysia’s first sustainable dog food using Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) as an alternative protein source.
The MOU was jointly signed by Mr PY Choy, CEO, Pet World Nutritions Sdn Bhd, Ms Christine Chin, Chairman, SPCA Selangor and Mr Nick Piggott, CEO, Nutrition Technologies, in agreement to collaborate and to promote the use of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) in the production of commercial dog food. The MOU will also facilitate in educating the community on the benefits of BSFL in supporting our environment and ecosystem for sustainable future living with a significant reduction in carbon footprint, as well as giving back to the community with a cause for helping the rescued animals.