Characterization of eggs from laying hens fed insect-enriched diets

Traditional livestock production substantially impacts on the environment, largely due to intensive feed production. Sustainable and affordable protein sources are crucial, with rising protein costs and a growing demand for functional foods. Insects offer a promising alternative for hen feed, aligning with the need for novel, sustainable, cost-friendly feed protein sources, while offering the opportunity to enrich the egg nutritional quality. As most research focuses on animal productivity indexes, this study aimed at investigating the influence of insect-supplemented diets on both eggs commercial parameters and egg yolk nutritional composition. The insect-enriched diet enhanced the yolk's saturated fatty acids and carotenoids, while decreasing cholesterol content. The sum of essential amino acids remained mostly unchanged compared to egg yolks from hens fed the conventional diet, but lysine was statistically higher and sulfur-containing amino acids significantly lower in experimental yolks. Protein digestibility also improved, suggesting a potential increased bioavailability of proteins from experimental yolks.