Insect breeding method

Abstract

An insect rearing process, in which the atmosphere within the enclosure where the insects are reared is enriched with oxygen, is characterized in that the oxygen enrichment is carried out according to one or each of the following implementation methods: an injection of oxygen or a gaseous mixture containing oxygen which is not continuous and which is therefore interrupted during certain phases of the rearing considered; and / or an oxygen concentration in the mixture used which varies according to the rearing phase considered.

Description

Title of the invention: Method for breeding insects

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of insect production methods.

[0002] There is a growing global demand for proteins from insects, mainly for livestock farming (fish, poultry and pigs in particular), but also for pet food, and even more recently for human food, as a substitute for the usual animal proteins (beef in particular) which are criticized for their environmental impact.

[0003] In a context of a strong increase in the world population, the insect industry could meet the growing global demand for proteins, which according to all available studies, could increase by almost 30% between 2020 and 2030.

[0004] And we know that insects have very good nutritional qualities, particularly thanks to their high concentration of proteins, essential fatty acids and minerals. Insect-based food products such as insect flour and oil thus serve as sustainable and natural alternatives to products usually used in animal and human food.

[0005] Thus, insect meal, containing 60 to 80% protein, can also be used in aquaculture as a replacement for fish meal, and for feeding domestic animals, while insect oil, 100% natural and rich in essential fatty acids, can be used as an additive for animal feed.

[0006] It is also understandable that the insect industry could represent an exemplary solution, both for recycling waste from other industries, but also for valorizing its own co-products. Living decomposers, including insects, are essential to our ecosystem. As the last link in the food chain, they transform dead matter into energy and mineral elements, essential for plants. Thus, the insect industry places them at the heart of our agri-food system.

[0007] The literature shows that some researchers have studied the impact of "hyperoxia" (i.e. a residual oxygen content that is higher than that present in the air) on the size and development of insects. This was done in order to verify the hypothesis that the giant insects of the Paleozoic owed their size mainly to the hyperoxia of the time.

[0008] And these results have indeed shown that hyperoxia has a more or less significant impact on the development and size of insects.

[0009] We can then think that it would be entirely relevant to apply such hyperoxia when breeding insects intended for human or animal consumption nowadays.

[0010] As will be seen in more detail below, the present invention proposes a solution making it possible to implement such hyperoxia under very advantageous conditions, while controlling the economic and environmental impact.

[0011] Because at present, it is clear that hyperoxia is not implemented industrially within insect farms, there are no satisfactory existing solutions for industrial implementation.

[0012] As will be seen in more detail below, the present invention proposes an injection of oxygen or a mixture comprising oxygen, according to one or each of the following particularly advantageous embodiments: - an injection of gas (oxygen or gas mixture containing oxygen) which is not continuous and which is therefore interrupted during certain phases of the breeding considered; - an oxygen concentration in the mixture used which varies according to the breeding phase considered.

[0013] According to the present invention, it is preferred to intervene in a closed breeding system, in which the insects to be reared are present, and in which the injection of oxygen or a mixture comprising oxygen will be carried out.

[0014] Advantageously, in order to benefit from the action of oxygen, several generations of insects are raised there successively.

[0015] According to one of the embodiments of the invention, following the application of hyperoxia, what can be called "normoxia" is implemented, that is to say an oxygen content corresponding to or close to that existing in the air, that is to say approximately 21%, for a defined number of generations, number of generations during which the development of the insects then continues to benefit from the effects of the oxygen applied to the previous generations.

[0016] We know in fact that a part of the larvae from one generation of breeding is used to reproduce and provide the eggs for the next generation.

[0017] At the end of these generations raised under "normoxia", we then advantageously switch back to hyperoxia in order to maintain the beneficial effects of oxygen over the generations.

[0018] As an illustration of implementation methods, the present invention proposes the following particularly advantageous implementation conditions: - 4 to 5 generations are reared under hyperoxia A (i.e. under an atmosphere containing A% oxygen); - followed by 3 to 5 generations under “normoxia”; - then again 4 to 5 generations under said hyperoxia A; - etc...

[0019] According to another of the embodiments of the invention, in order to extend the number of generations not under hyperoxia A, and therefore to reduce the oxygen consumption of the installation, as well as the potential stress represented by a radical change in the oxygen concentration, it is proposed to alternate the hyperoxia A cycles with hyperoxia B cycles where B is less than A.

[0020] As an illustration of the above method, the following sequence is proposed: 4 to 5 generations under hyperoxia A, 6 to 9 generations under hyperoxia B, 4 to 5 generations under hyperoxia A, etc.

[0021] wherein concentration B is lower than concentration A.

[0022] According to the invention, hyperoxia conditions are preferred comprising an oxygen content of between 22% and 100%, preferably between 22% and 70%, and even more preferably between 22% and 40%.

[0023] The present invention then relates to a method for breeding insects, which comprises several breeding phases, where the atmosphere prevailing in the enclosure where the insects are bred is enriched with oxygen, characterized in that the oxygen enrichment is carried out according to one or each of the following implementation methods: an injection of oxygen or a gas mixture containing oxygen which is not continuous and which is therefore interrupted during certain phases of the breeding in question; and / or an oxygen concentration in the mixture used which varies according to the breeding phase considered.

[0024] According to one of the embodiments of the invention, the following are implemented during the different phases of the breeding considered: One or more phases of hyperoxia, i.e. during which the atmosphere prevailing in the enclosure has an oxygen content higher than that existing in the air; and One or more phases in normoxia, that is to say during which the atmosphere prevailing in the enclosure has an oxygen content which is close to that existing in the air.

[0025] According to one of the embodiments of the invention, hyperoxia is implemented for a given number of generations of insects, then normoxia for a given number of generations of insects, identical to or different from said number of generations under hyperoxia, number of generations under normoxia during which the development of the insects continues to benefit from the effects of the oxygen applied to the previous generations which had been placed under hyperoxia.

[0026] According to one of the embodiments of the invention, at the end of these generations raised under normoxia, the breeding is switched back to hyperoxia in order to maintain the beneficial effects of oxygen over the generations.

[0027] According to one of the embodiments of the invention, the following succession of conditions is carried out: - 4 to 5 generations of insects are reared under hyperoxia A, i.e. under an atmosphere containing A% oxygen; - followed by 3 to 5 generations of insects under normoxia; - then we proceed again to the breeding of 4 to 5 generations of insects under said hyperoxia A; - etc...

[0028] According to one of the embodiments of the invention, hyperoxia A is implemented for a given number of generations of insects, i.e. under an atmosphere comprising A% of oxygen, then hyperoxia B for a given number of generations of insects, i.e. under an atmosphere comprising B% of oxygen, number of generations identical to or different from said number of generations under hyperoxia A, where B is less than A.

[0029] According to one of the embodiments of the invention, the following succession of conditions is carried out: - 4 to 5 generations of insects are reared under hyperoxia A, i.e. under an atmosphere containing A% oxygen; - followed by 6 to 9 generations of insects under hyperoxia B ie under an atmosphere containing B% oxygen; - then we proceed again to the breeding of 4 to 5 generations of insects under said hyperoxia A, i.e. under an atmosphere containing A% oxygen;

[0030] etc....

[0031] where concentration B is lower than concentration A.

[0032] According to one of the embodiments of the invention, one or each of said hyperoxia phases is characterized by an oxygen content of between 22% and 100%, preferably between 22% and 70%, and even more preferably between 22% and 40%.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for rearing insects, which comprises several rearing phases, where the atmosphere prevailing in the enclosure where the insects are reared is enriched with oxygen, characterized in that the oxygen enrichment is carried out according to one or each of the following methods of implementation: - an injection of oxygen or of a gaseous mixture containing oxygen which is not continuous and which is therefore interrupted during certain of the phases of the rearing considered; and / or - an oxygen concentration in the mixture used which varies according to the rearing phase considered.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the following are implemented during the different phases of the breeding considered: - One or more phases in hyperoxia, that is to say during which the atmosphere prevailing in the enclosure has an oxygen content higher than that existing in the air; and - One or more phases in normoxia, that is to say during which the atmosphere prevailing in the enclosure has an oxygen content which is close to that existing in the air.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that hyperoxia is implemented for a given number of generations of insects, then normoxia for a given number of generations of insects, identical to or different from said number of generations under hyperoxia, number of generations under normoxia during which the development of the insects continues to benefit from the effects of the oxygen applied to the previous generations which had been placed under hyperoxia.

4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that at the end of these generations raised under normoxia, the breeding is switched back to hyperoxia in order to maintain the beneficial effects of oxygen over the generations.

5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the following succession of conditions is carried out: - 4 to 5 generations of insects are reared under hyperoxia A, that is to say under an atmosphere comprising a given oxygen content A%; - followed by 3 to 5 generations of insects under normoxia; - then 4 to 5 generations of insects are reared again under said hyperoxia in an atmosphere with a given oxygen content A%.

6. Method according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that hyperoxia A is implemented for a given number of insect generations, that is to say under an atmosphere comprising a given oxygen content A%, then hyperoxia B for a given number of insect generations, that is to say under an atmosphere comprising a given oxygen content B%, number of generations under hyperoxia B identical to or different from said number of generations under hyperoxia A, and where the content B% is lower than the content A%.

7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that the following succession of conditions is carried out: - 4 to 5 generations of insects are reared under hyperoxia A, that is to say under an atmosphere comprising a given oxygen content A%; - followed by 6 to 9 generations of insects under hyperoxia B, that is to say under an atmosphere comprising a given oxygen content B%; - then 4 to 5 generations of insects are reared again under said hyperoxia A, that is to say under an atmosphere comprising a given oxygen content A%; where the content B% is lower than the content A%.

8. Method according to one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that one or each of said hyperoxia phases is characterized by an oxygen content of between 22% and 100%, preferably between 22% and 70%, and even more preferably between 22% and 40%.