Zophobas morio is a species of darkling beetle, whose larvae are known by the common name superworm or kingworm. Photo: Canva In the next 3-4 years, insects in Russia can account for a 5% share of protein used in pet food production, said Denis Ter-Akopov, general director of ONTO, a Moscow-based company producing zophobas, mealworm, black soldier fly, and dried cricket. Currently, the Russian pet food market is undergoing a transformation, which involves a departure of foreign brands and a shortage of pure proteins, including Ento proteins, Ter-Akopov told to Russian publication Veterinary and Life . Sales on the Russian pet food market now reach 300 billion roubles ($4 billion) per year, but most of the demand for insects comes from the owners of the terrarium and exotic animals: aquarium fish, rodents, hedgehogs, birds, he added. It is possible to reduce or increase the protein composition of the pet food, as well as fat, sodium, or calcium content, through introducing certain necessary nutrients into the insects’ diet.” Calibrating nutritional value In a bid to expand the demand, ONTO has recently released a line of insect-based pet food for cats. “We produce cat food from meat ingredients and add protein-lipid […]
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