UGM Students Turn Black Soldier Fly Larvae Into High Protein Cat Food

Illustration (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Four students from the Faculty of Animal Husbandry, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) process maggots or black soldier fly larvae into high protein cat food.

"Got Meat is here as a cat food solution that has high protein content, but is still affordable and able to improve the welfare of local farmers," said Iqbal Wahdan Salsabil in Yogyakarta, reported by Antara, Monday, November 29.

In the hands of four UGM Animal Science students, namely Mira Tsurayya Masruroh, Iqbal Wahdan Salsabil, Fariz Jordan Fadillah, and Dina Puspitasari, the cat food was given the name "Got Meat".

For some people, fly larvae or maggots are often considered disgusting animals that are commonly found in trash cans.

However, according to him, maggots can actually be used as something useful because they have high protein.

Iqbal said the maggot black soldier fly (BSF) was processed into flour which was then processed into "Got Meat" cat food.

Based on the results of research by Iqbal and his team, BSF fly larvae contain protein (31.6 percent), fat (16.7 percent), fiber (2.9 percent), and water content (5 percent).

In addition to being rich in nutrients, according to him, the animal feed is processed with various variants such as mackerel, chicken, and vegetables that target the age level of adult cats.

According to Iqbal, almost all cat food products on the market are dominated by foreign industries.

He hopes that with this innovation, the community will have a choice of quality and affordable cat food.

"The price is also quite affordable, Got Meat is also neatly packaged using a ziplock and double security through a sealer so that it is able to maintain good product quality for a longer period of time," said Iqbal.