Insect Meat an Alternative Protein Source in Animal Food · insects as an alternative protein source in pet food is reflected in the scientific literature (Bosch et al., 2014; Kröger

International Journal of Food & Nutrition

ISSN: 2311-357X, Volume 3, Issue 2, page 70 – 78 Zambrut

Zambrut.com. Publication date: August, 2019.

Ibitoye, O. S., Kolejo, O. S. & Muritala, D. S. 2019. Insect Meat an Alternative Protein Source in Animal

Food (Exploring the Dog Owners’ Willingness ............

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Insect Meat an Alternative

Protein Source in Animal Food (Exploring the Dog Owners’ Willingness to Feed Edible Insects to Their Dog)

O. S. Ibitoye1, O. S. Kolejo

2 & D. S. Muritala

3

1O. S. Ibitoye,

2O. S. Kolejo &

3D. S. Muritala

1,2Onigambari Forest Reserve, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN)

3Forest-Based Rural Resource Centre, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN)

Nigeria

1. Introduction

Dogs are the most successful canids worldwide to have adapted to human habitation through

domestication (Ugbomioko et al., 2008). They share a mutual relationship with a man (Amudu et al.,

2010) therefore they are regarded as man’s best friend (Ikram, 2013; Murphy, 2005). They provide us

with companionship by contributing to our emotional well-being, reducing loneliness and increasing

our social activities. Dogs also helps man in many societal ways such as therapy dog (Jones et al.,

2018), police dog (Tadeusz et al., 2014), medical alert and detection dog (Pesterfield et al., 2014) and

Abstract: Dogs are important to man, the responsibility of determining the best suitable food for the

pet rest on their owners. The common sources of animal protein in dogs’ food in Nigeria are beef,

mutton, and fish. Insects, as opposed to these protein sources, are more environmentally

sustainable. This study aims to test the willingness of dog owners to use edible insects as a suitable

alternative for conventional animal protein sources in dog food. The data were sourced using

purposive sampling method, 120 households with dogs were selected and structured questionnaires

were administered to each dog owners in Oluyole Local Government Area, Oyo State, Nigeria. The

results of the study revealed that the consumption of insects by dogs is greatly influenced by their

owners. Dog owners’ income significantly affects the choice of food given to their dogs. There are

positive responses toward benefits of including insects in dog food, although most of the

respondents have not fed their dogs with insects in the past, they will buy insects in dog foods if

they are available. The strongest benefit perceived was that there will be less pressure on other

meat sources if insects are raised to feed dogs while the weakest perceived benefit was that insects

are easy to rear. Dog owners perceived that there is poor awareness of insects farming for pet food

in the area since there are no known industrial farms in the area. Health challenges such as

diseases and bioaccumulation of metals and pesticides by insects were ranked highest as the factors

affecting insect usage in dog food. Therefore, this study recommends supplementing conventional

animal protein sources by insects, since pet owners are strongly willed towards the use of insects in

dog food.

Keywords: Dog; Insect-pet food; Conventional meat; Alternative protein.

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assistant dog (Natalie et al., 2002) which are commonly seen in Nigeria. Dogs contribute to the

livelihood of Nigerians by selling them to make a profit, hunt with them and in some communities in

Nigeria they often consume them. In turn, pet owners are saddled with the daily responsibility of

caring for their pets. The choice of food given to pets influences their behaviour, health, physical

activities and general well-being (Kelly et al., 2013). Dogs require a balanced diet for optimum

activities, and they can digest varieties of food.

The common animal protein consumed by humans and dogs in Nigeria is beef, chicken, milk,

fish, mutton, cheese and egg (Adekunmi et al., 2017; Abdulraheem et al., 2016). The quantity of

animal protein needed by humans will double by 2050 (Van Huis, 2013) alternative animal protein

source is needed for both humans and their dogs. Many pet companies both locally and internationally

produce low quality dog food in other to maximize profits (Rolinec et al., 2016; Fadeyemi and

Akinleye, 2011). Fadeyemi and Akinleye, (2011) reported variations in the concentration of the crude

protein present in the dog food and the concentration written on the pack label among dog food brands

sold in vendors in Ibadan Nigeria. Although the provision of protein in a dog diet is important, the

available sources are environmentally unsustainable and very expensive for low-income earners. Edible

insects can be used as an alternative to expensive animal protein sources in conventional dog food.

Using insects as an alternative source of protein in animal feeds is becoming globally recognized

(Harinde et al., 2014; Stamer, 2015; Bosch et al., 2014; Kierończyk et al.,2018). The rising interest in

insects as an alternative protein source in pet food is reflected in the scientific literature (Bosch et al.,

2014; Kröger et al., 2017; Lie et al., 2019). This study may determine the future success of using

insects as the source of animal protein in dog food and increasing the marketplace’s willingness to buy

insect-based dog food. In addition, it can also provide information on the acceptance or rejection of the

use of insects as pet food. Therefore, it is pertinent to study the willingness of dog owners on the use of

insects in dog food to draw a strategic development plan on how to enhance nutrients in dog food. We

hypothesized that dog owners will reject using insects as a replacement for conventional protein

sources in dog food. Therefore, the objective of the study is to determine the dog owners’ willingness

to supplement dog food with edible insects. Also, to test their knowledge of the associated benefit and

factors that are hindering them from using edible insect as an alternative meat source.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1 Study Sites

Oluyole is a Local Government in Oyo state; its capital is located at Idi Ayunre. Its coordinates

fall between 7.3215° N, 3.8707° E with an area of 629 km² and a population of 202,725 at the 2006

census. The average annual temperature is 26.5 °C and rain falls on an average of about 1311 mm of

precipitation annually. January is the driest month, while the peak rainfall comes around June.

Occupants of these areas engage in mixed occupation and the area falls towards Oyo–Ogun state

boundary with a large span of arable land for farming. Onigambari forest reserves and Mokore River

are among the many monuments in the area. This area applies to investigate the willingness-to-

acceptance of insects in dog food because families in this region cut across all social strata; also it is a

common practice of the people of the region to raise a dog for one reason or the other.

2.2 Sampling procedure and data collection

A total of 120 households with at least one dog were purposively sampled for an interview. The

study questionnaires were divided into four sections. First, the questionnaire captured demographic

information and socioeconomic status of the households, including age, gender, marital status, religion

and household size (Table 1). Most of the respondents were 20 to 30 years (33.3%) and most were male

(88.7%). The majority were civil servants and Christian. Most dog owners live on less than $2.7 and

45% of the population owns between two to three dogs. Most of the respondents kept their dog for their

appearance and guard duties (Figure 1)

Secondly, participants were interviewed about the general acceptability of insects as food.

Questions were asked relating to their dogs and the owners. This was on a two-point scale: 0= yes, 1=

no. Thirdly, participants were asked questions to test them on future willingness to buy insects

containing food for their dogs. They were asked to relate their level of agreement based on a five-point






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scale: 1= definitely will not buy, 2= probably will not buy, 3= maybe or maybe not, 4= probably will

buy, 5= definitely will buy. Participants were asked about their perceptions of benefits associated with

the use of Insect as an alternative to animal protein in dog food. They were asked to indicate their level

of agreement on a five-point Likert scale with response categories: 1 = strongly disagree; 2 = disagree;

3 = neither agree nor disagree; 4 = agree, and 5 = strongly agree. Lastly, dog owners were asked about

their perceptions of the factors affecting the use of Insects as an alternative to animal protein in dog

food, using the same Likert scale-based options as described above.

2.3 Statistical analysis

Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistic 23 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).

Descriptive statistics such as mean, frequency and percentage were used to analyze the demographic

and socio-economic status of dog owners. Chi-square was used to determine the relationship between

dog owners’ income and the source of food they give their dogs. Multiple response analysis was used

to test the acceptance level and willingness of the respondents to purchase dog food containing edible

insects or substitute the conventional animal protein source with edible insects.

3. Results

3.1 Dog owners’ willingness to use edible insects in dog food

Dog owners’ income significantly affects the choice of food they give their dogs (Table_ 2).

Lower-income dog owners feed their dogs with leftover food. Dog owners’ willingness to accept the

use of edible insects in dog food is presented in Table_3. Almost half (41.7%) the number of the

respondents eat insects, although a low percentage (11.7%) of the respondents agreed to have fed their

dogs with insects as the animal protein source. Only a few percentages (5%) of dog owners accepted to

rear insects for their dog despite agreeing that insects are nutritious (81.7%) and that insects required

balanced diet (93.3%). There were positive responses regarding future wiliness to buy dog food

enriched with edible insects (Figure_2). More than half of the respondents gave a positive response

regarding the willingness to buy dog food enriched with insects.

Table_1: Demographic characteristics of dog owners

Terms Status Percentage (%)

Age 21-30 21.7

31-40 33.3

41-50 31.7

51 above 8.3

Gender Male 88.7

Female 33.3

Income per day** < 1000 45.0

1000-2000 30.0

2000-3000 16.7

>4000 8.3

Occupation Farmer 18.3

Civil servant 45.0

Artisan 21.7

Student 15.0

No. of dog per respondent 1 31.7

2-3 45.0

>3 23.3

Religion Christianity 53.3

Islam 46.7

** 1 USD is equivalent to 306.95 naira (CBN, 2019).






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Figure 1: Reasons dogs’ owners keep them

Table 2: Influence of respondents’ income on sources of dogs’ food

Income per day

Source of dog food

Total p-value** leftover food

from home

processed

food

Leftover

food from

restaurants

below 1000 15 4 8 27 0.042

1000 - 2000 9 5 4 18

20000 - 3000 3 3 4 10

4000 above 0 0 5 5

**p-value is significant at ≤ 0.05

Table 3: Dog owners’ willingness to use edible insects in dog food

Variable % yes Std. Deviation

Do you eat insect 41.7 0.497

Do you feed insects to your pet 11.7 0.324

Would you buy dog food knowing that

it is made from insects 51.7 0.504

Would you raise an insect to feed your

pet 5 0.220

Do dog need a balanced diet 93.3 0.252

Are insects nutritious enough to feed

your pet 81.7 0.390






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Figure 2: Future willingness of respondents to buy insects as an alternative to meat in Dog food

Dog owners’ perception of the positive benefits and the risk factors affecting the use of insects in

dog food

The results showed a positive perception of the use of edible insects in dog food (Table_4). Dog

owners show favourable perception towards environmental sustainability, Nutritional and economic

advantages of using edible insect as an animal protein source in dog food. The top-ranked benefit is

that there will be less pressure on other meat sources being used i.e. cow and fish (mean = 4.61) and

that insect requires less space to be reared (mean = 4.40). Respondents perceived insect to be highly

nutritive (mean = 4.22). The weakest perceived benefit was that the insect was easy to rear with a mean

value of 2.3.

Dog owners highlighted the factors affecting the use of edible insects in dog’s food Table_5.

Lack of awareness of insect farming for food ranked highest (mean = 4.33). Concerns were raised by

the respondents on the risk associated with feeding insects to the dog. Factors such as a possibility of

transmitting the disease to the dogs through eating insect (mean= 4.17) and bioaccumulation of metals,

pesticides and other hazardous substance (mean=4.13) were also ranked high. The weakest perceived

factors affecting the use of insects in dog food is that insects are available to use in dog food (mean =

2.87).

Table 4: Dog owners’ perception of the benefits of using edible insects in dog food

Benefits Mean Rank

Feeding insect to your dog(s) means less pressure on

other meat sources such as cow meat 4.61 1

st

Insect requires less space for rearing 4.40 2nd

Insects are highly nutritious 4.22 3rd

Insect use less water than other livestock 2.8 4th

Less greenhouse gas emission 2.6 5th

Insects are easy to rear 2.3 6th

Mean score ≥ 3.0 suggest major factors






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Table 5: Dog owners’ perception of the factors affecting edible insect inclusion in dog food

Risk factors Mean Rank

Lack of awareness of insect farming for food 4.33 1st

Little knowledge of the techniques insect farming 4.20 2nd

Insect can transmit a disease to my dog 4.17 3rd

Insect can accumulate heavy metals, pesticides, and

other hazardous substances which is not healthy for

my dog

4.13 4th

It is difficult to differentiate edible insects from

another insect 3.87 5

th

Lack of funds to produce insects for my dog 3.47 6th

Insects are available to use in dog food 2.87 7th

Mean score ≥ 3.0 suggest major factors

4. Discussion

The use of insects for animal feed has received increasing attention worldwide, but their use in

dog food is rare. Information about the willingness of dog owners on the use of insects are also limited

(Verbeke et al., 2015). This study shows that Dog owners determine what their dog eats and their

income significantly affects the food choice/quality they offer their pet. Dogs are mostly fed with

leftover food in the study area since the majority of the respondents lived below 100naira per day. This

statement is supported by Hambolu et al., (2014) who said that dogs in Nigeria mostly depend on

leftover food for sustenance. Leftover foods in most cases have little nutritional values because poor

nutrition is a major problem in individuals and families lives in Nigeria (Achor, 2014). Almost half the

number of the respondents eat insects, but a low percentage of the respondents agreed to have fed their

dogs with insects, meaning that the current acceptance and/or the awareness of insects as pet food

among the respondents are low (Verbeke et al., 2015). However, there are positive responses

regarding the future willingness of the respondents to buy insect enriched dog food. The use of insects

in animal feed is widely documented (Van Huis, 2013; Van et al., 2017; Verbeke et al., 2015; Lie,

2019 ).

Rearing insects to feed dogs was rejected by the dog owners, this may be attributed to the fact

that the concept of farming insects for feed is relatively new to them and (Gunya et al., 2019; Verbeke

et al., 2015) and there is no established insect farm around the area. Consequently, this can be traced to

the reason for the limited knowledge of the concept of insect farming in the study area. According to

Payne et al., (2016), many insects can be reared at a relatively low economic and environmental cost.

Farming insects use up to 50–90% less land per kg protein, 40–80% less feed per kg edible weight and

produces a 1000–2700 g fewer GHGEs (Greenhouse gas emissions) per kg mass gain than conventional

livestock. Furthermore, there are many advantages to supplementing other animal proteins in dog food.

Attila et al., (2017) reported that insects contain highly diverse nutritional components than commonly

consume alternatives and can address nutritional related health concerns such as under-nutrition.

The willingness of pet owners to accept edible insects in their pets’ food has some benefits.

According to this study, dog owners believe that accepting insects in dog food will reduce some

pressure on other animal sources commonly used. This is in line with Van Huis et al., (2013) which

says replacing a part of conventional meat with edible insects implies an end to unlimited harvesting

from nature. Insect feed prices are estimated to be higher than those of conventional feed. To address

this, it is important to develop automated process technologies for rearing, harvesting, and post-harvest

procedures (Gunya et al., 2019). Dog food prices will reduce if mass-producing insect farms and small-

scale insect farming is encouraged.

Despite the benefits of using insects as an alternative protein source in dog food, there are some

factors affecting its usage. These factors include lack of awareness of the importance of insects farming

for food, little knowledge of the techniques associated with insect farming, difficulty in differentiating






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edible insect from other insects. Respondents raised some concern about their dogs’ health; edible

insects can introduce disease to their dogs, deposition of residues of heavy metals and pesticides from

insect into their dogs when consumed. Health concerns were also reported by Verbeke et al., (2015) as

a major factor affecting the use of insects in animal feed. Gunya et al., (2019) suggest that disease-

related to microorganisms can be cured of insects by treating them during processing (washing and

thoroughly heating), these processes will sufficiently reduce the bacteria-borne diseases. Disease and

chemical substance can be reduced by ensuring a good hygienic environment during production. The

weakest perceived factor affecting insect use in dog food was the availability of insects in the area.

Ibitoye et al., (2019) reported that seasonal scarcity of insect affects insect acceptance as food and

further stated that improve insect farming will address the issue.

5. Conclusions

In conclusion, dogs are important to man and require optimum care. Insects are nutritious and can

be produced sustainably as opposed to the conventional protein sources used in dog food. The current

use of insects in dog food is low or almost non existing, but the future willingness to use insect as an

alternative protein source in dog food is high. The knowledge of insect farming by dog owners is still

low as there is no insect-based industry found in the study area. This cannot be dissociated from poor

awareness of insect farming in the study area. Public sensitization on the techniques of rearing insects

both in small scale and mass production should be encouraged. Dogs are mostly fed with leftover food,

although an increase in income may persuade dog owners to buy processed food for their dogs. Dogs

require a balanced diet and their food should be produced at a minimal cost. Improved production and

usage of insect is perceived to reduce the cost of dog food. Insects in dog food are perceived to relieve

pressure on the alternative sources of animal protein. Dog owners reported some factors that hinder

insect usage in dog food, among which poor awareness and health concerns ranked highest. Overall,

future willingness to use insects is high, but awareness of insects farming needs to be encouraged

through training and extension services.

6. Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest among the authors

7. Grants and Awards

The authors received no grant, awards or fellowship for this study

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Insect Meat an Alternative Protein Source in Animal Food · insects as an alternative protein source in pet food is reflected in the scientific literature (Bosch et al., 2014; Kröger