Abstract
The impending global population of 9.6 billion by 2050 poses a significant challenge in satisfying the growing need for sustainable and nutritious foods, especially animal protein, essential for supporting active and healthy lifestyles. There is an ongoing exploration of non-traditional sources of human foods and animal feeds to address the anticipated future demand. Issues on a global scale tied to food waste, encompassing elevated collection expenses, insufficient treatments, and environmental pollution, can play a role in climate change. The potential of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) to convert food waste into cost-effective, highly nutritious food and feed components with reduced environmental impact offers a plausible solution to managing food waste and sustainable food supply. BSFL exhibits the capability to transform a broad range of food waste into premium-quality proteins and beneficial fats.The objective of this research was to examine the impact of food waste on the chemical composition of BSFL and its protein functional properties. The research involved feeding BSFL 20 different types of food waste with various chemical compositions (different fat and protein contents). The chemical composition of BSFL samples was determined. The BSFL samples were fractioned into protein, fat, and residue fractions to explore potential food, feed, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics applications. The study examined the impact of various factors, including pH levels, temperatures, microwave heating time, water bath sonication, soundwave exposure, and particle sizes, on the protein content and yield of protein isolate.
| Date of Award | 2024 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Vijay Jayasena (Supervisor), Mark Williams (Supervisor) & WMAD Binosha Fernando (Supervisor) |