The need to increase sustainability in agriculture, to ensure food security for the future generations, is leading to the emergence of industrial rearing facilities for insects. One promising species being industrially reared as an alternative protein source for animal feed and as a raw material for the chemical industry is the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens). However, scientific knowledge toward the optimization of the productivity for this insect is scarce. One knowledge gap concerns the impact of the microbial community associated withH. illucenson the performance and health of this insect. In this review, the first steps in the characterization of the microbiota inH. illucensand the analysis of substrate-dependent dynamics in its composition are summarized and discussed. Furthermore, this review zooms in on the interactions between microorganisms and the insect duringH. illucensdevelopment. Finally, attention is paid to how the microbiome research can lead to alternative valorization strategies forH. illucens, such as (i) the manipulation of the microbiota to optimize insect biomass production and (ii) the exploitation of theH. illucens-microbiota interplay for the discovery of new enzymes and novel antimicrobial strategies based onH. illucensimmunity using either the whole organism or its molecules. The next decade promises to be extremely interesting for this research field and will see an emergence of the microbiological optimization ofH. illucensas a sustainable insect for industrial rearing and the exploitation of its microbiome for novel biotechnological applications.

In the present study, inclusion of mealworm (Tenebrio molitor L.) powder into bread doughs at 5 and 10% substitution level of soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) flour was tested to produce protein fortified breads. The addition of mealworm powder (MP) did not negatively affect the technological features of either doughs or breads. All the tested doughs showed the same leavening ability, whereas breads containing 5% MP showed the highest specific volume and the lowest firmness. An enrichment in protein content was observed in experimental breads where the highest values for this parameter were recorded in breads containing 10% MP. Breads fortified with 10% MP also exhibited a significant increase in the content of free amino acids, and especially in the following essential amino acids: tyrosine, methionine, isoleucine, and leucine. By contrast, no differences in nutritional quality of lipids were seen between fortified and control breads. Results of sensory analyses revealed that protein fortification of bread with MP significantly affected bread texture and overall liking, as well as crust colour, depending on the substitution level. Overall, proof of concept was provided for the inclusion of MP into bread doughs started with different leavening agents (sourdough and/or baker’s yeast), at 5 or 10% substitution level of soft wheat flour. Based on the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale, the proposed bread making technology can be situated at level 4 (validation in laboratory environment), thus suggesting that the production of breads with MP might easily be scaled up at industrial level. However, potential spoilage and safety issues that need to be further considered were highlighted.