Food Safety of Consuming Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae: Microbial, Heavy Metal and Cross-Reactive Allergen Risks
Open accessAbstract
Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae (BSFL) are a promising, sustainable source of nutrients, however, there is limited knowledge regarding the food safety of consuming BSFL. This study determined the safety of consuming BSFL for direct human consumption in terms of microbial, heavy metal and allergen content. Microbial counts were determined using ISO (International Organization for Standardization) methods, heavy metals were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and allergens were determined via Orbitrap mass spectrometry and ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) kits. Feed and killing method influenced the presence of Bacillus cereus (p = 0.011), and only the killing method influenced Escherichia coli (p < 0.00) and total viable count (TVC) (p < 0.00). Blanching resulted in a 3-log reduction in E. coli and a 3.4 log reduction in the TVC counts. Salmonella spp. and Listeria spp. were not detected in the BSFL samples. Heavy metals were detected although they were below maximum legal limits. Cross-reactive allergens, tropomyosin and arginine kinase, were detected in the BSFL samples, although the clinical significance requires research. The feed fed to the BSFL and blanching were found to influence the safety of consuming BSFL, highlighting the importance of incorporating sufficient decontamination steps, such as blanching, to ensure food safety.
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BSFL are relevant for human consumption.
“Thus, many studies investigated BSFL nutrition, which is an early purpose for animal feedstock, and also found that BSFL are relevant for human consumption [81].”
From A Review of Organic Waste Treatment Using Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) (2022) · cites this paper as [81]
The feed fed to the BSFL and blanching were discovered to influence the safety of ingesting BSFL, emphasizing the significance of adding adequate decontamination measures, such as blanching, to assure food safety.
“Some studies show the feed fed to the BSFL and blanching were discovered to influence the safety of ingesting BSFL, emphasizing the significance of adding adequate decontamination measures, such as blanching, to assure food safety [81].”
From A Review of Organic Waste Treatment Using Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) (2022) · cites this paper as [81]
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Self-citation
- Authors
- Bessa, L. W., Pieterse, E., Marais, J., Dhanani, K., & Hoffman, L. C.
- Affiliations
- Stellenbosch University (ZA)
- The Woodmill Office 11, 1st Floor, Vredenburg Road, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
- The University of Queensland (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Hoffman, Louwrens C.
- Venue
- Foods
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2021-08-20
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1934
- ISSN
- 2304-8158 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC8394208
- OpenAlex
- W3194491351
- Cited by
- 88
- References
- 59
- Citations by year
- 2026: 17 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 11
- FWCI
- 8.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Foods (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- South African Research Chairs Initiative (84633)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Insect Science › Insect Utilization and Effects
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Food Safety and Hygiene
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Immunology and Allergy › Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Research
- Keywords
- black soldier fly larvae, Hermetia illucens, edible insects, food safety, microbial contamination, heavy metals, cross-reactive allergens, tropomyosin, arginine kinase, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, blanching, insect feed, decontamination
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