Insect protein has moved from novelty to regulated ingredient in just a few years. In Europe, food safety authorities have issued positive safety opinions for yellow mealworm and black soldier fly larvae in dog and cat food, and in the United States, AAFCO has added black soldier fly larvae to its official ingredient definitions for both species. Marketing makes a lot of the sustainability story. The more useful question for pet owners is simpler: is it nutritionally sound? The research so far says it can be — with caveats worth understanding.
What Is Actually in Insect Meal
The ingredient you will see most often is defatted black soldier fly larvae meal. After the fat is pressed out, studies report crude protein concentrations of roughly 60 to 66 percent — comparable territory to chicken meal at about 70 percent, and well above whole egg powder at about 51 percent. The fat fraction that remains is notable for its lauric acid content, a medium-chain fatty acid. The insects’ exoskeletons contribute chitin, a fiber-like polymer that behaves much like insoluble fiber in the digestive tract.
Digestibility: Better Than Skeptics Expected
The biggest question about any novel protein is whether dogs and cats can actually digest and use its amino acids. A 2025 University of Illinois study published in the Journal of Animal Science compared defatted black soldier fly larvae meal with chicken meal and whole egg powder. The corn-substrate larvae meal cleared 75 percent digestibility for every indispensable amino acid, and its arginine digestibility was comparable to whole egg powder — the most digestible reference ingredient tested. It matched or exceeded chicken meal across the board.
Feeding trials in dogs point the same way: adult dogs fed diets containing 20 percent black soldier fly larvae meal showed digestibility of dry matter and crude protein comparable to poultry meal, and a trial with cricket meal at 10 percent inclusion found palatability statistically similar to a chicken-based control. Insects, in short, are not automatically a lesser ingredient.
The Catch: Amino Acid Balancing
High digestibility does not by itself make a diet complete. Every protein source has limiting amino acids, and insect meals are no exception. For growing puppies and adult dogs, methionine plus cysteine runs short when larvae meal is the main protein. For growing kittens, both methionine plus cysteine and phenylalanine plus tyrosine are limiting, and phenylalanine plus tyrosine also runs short for adult cats. Formulators compensate with concentrated amino acid supplements — exactly as they do in plant-based formulas.
That is why the nutritional adequacy statement, not the protein source, is what guarantees the result. A bag that says “made with insect protein” tells you nothing about completeness until it also says complete and balanced for your pet’s life stage.
| Protein source | Crude protein | Standout strength | Watch-out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken meal | About 70% | Familiar, concentrated protein | Methionine + cysteine can still run short |
| Whole egg powder | About 51% | Highest amino acid digestibility | Cost |
| Black soldier fly meal | About 60–66% | Amino acid digestibility above 75%; arginine comparable to egg | Limiting amino acids must be balanced in the formula |
Sensible Cautions Before You Switch
- Allergy history. Insects share some proteins with crustaceans and dust mites. If your pet has reacted to crustaceans such as shrimp, check with your veterinarian before trying an insect-based food.
- Transition slowly. Any new protein should be introduced over 7 to 10 days, mixed in increasing proportions.
- Supply and standards vary. Farming substrates, defatting methods, and quality control differ between producers, so manufacturer transparency matters.
- Long-term data is thin. Current evidence covers digestibility, palatability, and short-term tolerance; multi-year feeding outcomes are still being built.
The bottom line: the early science positions insect protein as a legitimate, well-digested option for dogs and cats — neither a miracle nor a gimmick. Judge the whole formula: an AAFCO adequacy statement matched to your pet’s life stage matters far more than the protein source printed on the front of the bag.