Black Soldier Fly Feeding for Natural Carotenoid-Enriched Poultry Feed

Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for producing carotenoids, such as natural extraction, chemical synthesis, and microbial fermentation, face challenges including low efficiency, environmental pollution, impurity issues, and instability of carotenoids, making it difficult to meet the growing demand for natural carotenoids in poultry feed.

Innovation Solution

A feeding method for black soldier flies that involves mixing fat, plant-based materials, and compound feed to enrich carotenoids within their bodies, which are then used as feed for poultry, enhancing the stability and bioavailability of carotenoids.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If natural extraction methods are used to produce carotenoids, then natural carotenoid quality is improved, but production efficiency is low and environmental pollution occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces black soldier flies as an intermediary organism that consumes plant-based materials containing carotenoids and accumulates them in their bodies. This biological intermediary system enables efficient carotenoid production while maintaining natural quality, resolving the contradiction between natural extraction methods and production efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the production parameter from direct plant extraction to biological accumulation through black soldier flies. By controlling feeding conditions, growth stages, and environmental parameters, the system achieves high-efficiency production of natural carotenoids without the environmental pollution associated with traditional extraction methods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If chemical synthesis methods are used to produce carotenoids, then production efficiency is improved, but product purity and safety are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs black soldier flies to self-accumulate carotenoids through their natural feeding behavior on carotenoid-containing plant materials. This biological self-service process eliminates the need for complex chemical synthesis procedures, achieving both high production efficiency and product purity without chemical reagent residues.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If carotenoids are produced through microbial fermentation, then natural quality is improved, but yield is low and cultivation conditions are strict

Engineering Contradiction:
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the carotenoid production process into two stages: first, black soldier flies consume and accumulate carotenoids from plant-based materials; second, the accumulated carotenoids are extracted from the flies. This segmentation enables high yield production while maintaining natural quality, overcoming the limitations of direct microbial fermentation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Loss of substance

If traditional carotenoid extraction methods are used, then carotenoid recovery is achieved, but process complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts carotenoids from black soldier flies after they have accumulated them in their bodies during the feeding process. This extraction approach simplifies the overall process compared to traditional plant extraction methods, as the carotenoids are already concentrated in the fly tissue, reducing the complexity of extraction equipment and procedures while maintaining high recovery rates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method produces carotenoid-rich black soldier flies that improve the quality of poultry meat and eggs by providing stable, natural carotenoids, which are less prone to oxidation and degradation, and can be produced on a large scale efficiently.

Implementation Method 1

mixing fat, plant-based materials and compound feed evenly to obtain configured feed for black soldier fly... feeding black soldier flies with the configured feed... enrich carotenoids within their bodies

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAbsorption: Absorption (physical)

Data Source

PatentUS20250228268A1Carotenoid-rich black soldier flies and feeding method and application thereof
Publication Date: 2025.07.17

AI summary

The present application relates to the field of poultry feed, and more specifically, it relates to carotenoid-rich black soldier flies and their feeding method and application. A method for feeding carotenoid-rich black soldier flies, including the following steps: step 1, configuring feed for black soldier fly: mixing fat, plant-based materials and compound feed evenly to obtain configured feed for black soldier fly; where the plant-based materials include at least one of carrots, tomato powder and chili meal; where the fat include one or more types of vegetable oil and animal fat; and step 2, feeding black soldier flies with the configured feed and raising them for 8-12 days to obtain carotenoid-rich black soldier flies. The feeding method of the present application extracts natural plant-type carotenoids with black soldier flies.