Black soldier fly larvae reared on fish-processing by-products yielded meaningful concentrations of marine omega-3s EPA and DHA — a nutritional profile rarely associated with conventional insect protein — under a validated semi-industrial trial by NRGene Canada and Ile-a-la-Crosse Fish Company Inc., the partners announced Sept. 16.

The milestone advances a partnership first announced in January 2025 and positions NRGene's MaxBSF™ larvae — and its dried MaxBites™ animal-feed product — as a higher-value poultry-feed supplement capable of supporting elevated omega-3 content in broiler chickens and laying-hen eggs.

The Trial Numbers

NRGene Canada ran the validation at the North American Insect Center (NAIC) in Saskatoon, processing 0.3 metric tons of feed formulated with 50% fish-processing by-products. The run yielded approximately 90 kilograms of MaxBSF™ larvae at a wet feed-conversion ratio of roughly 3.3, completing an 11-day cycle — five days in nursery and six in grow-out. Independent analysis by Prairie Tide Diversified Inc., a CALA-accredited Saskatoon laboratory, found fish-fed larvae carried 5.16% to 7.94% total omega-3 as a share of total fatty acids, versus 1.12% in same-genetics larvae on standard feed. EPA registered at 1.14% to 1.89% and DHA at 0.37% to 0.65%; neither was detected in the control group. The omega-6 to omega-3 ratio fell to as low as 1.2:1 compared with 12.8:1 on standard feed.

"These results matter because conventional BSF larvae generally contain very limited levels of EPA and DHA," said Dr. Ben Gradus, Director of Product, BSF at NRGene Canada. "By incorporating fish-processing by-products into the feed, we can produce MaxBSF™ larvae that combine insect protein with valuable marine omega-3 fatty acids."

Supply-Chain Context

For commercial foodservice and feed buyers, the development sits at the intersection of two durable supply-chain pressures: rising demand for omega-3-enriched poultry products and growing operator interest in traceable, sustainable ingredient sourcing. Insect protein has attracted significant investment as a partial replacement for fishmeal and soy in animal diets, but most BSF larvae are reared on plant-based substrates that produce negligible EPA and DHA. A larvae product with verified marine omega-3s could support differentiated positioning for egg producers and poultry processors supplying retail and foodservice channels, where omega-3 label claims command a measurable price premium.

Fish-processing by-products are notoriously difficult feedstocks — high moisture, high fat content, rapid spoilage — which has limited their use in conventional BSF operations. The trial's clean FCR and short cycle time suggest the purpose-built feed recipe and MaxBSF™ genetics can handle the substrate reliably at commercially meaningful volumes, reducing one of the key barriers to scale. Yossi Levi, Chief Business Officer of NRGene Canada, noted the economics "hold up" at semi-industrial throughput.

What Comes Next

With the feed recipe validated, the partners are planning an on-site BSF rearing facility in Ile-a-la-Crosse, SK, sized to the volume of by-products the regional fishery generates. Locating rearing close to the feedstock eliminates refrigerated transport of a perishable input and keeps economic value — jobs, processing knowledge — within the community. Neonates would be supplied by FairGene, a joint venture between NRGene Canada and Fairville Farming Co. in Bassano, Alberta, which began producing BSF eggs in July 2026.

The structure reflects NRGene Canada's hub-and-spoke model: centralized egg and neonate production paired with distributed regional rearing sites built around local organic by-product streams. The approach is replicable, Levi said, across other by-product categories and geographies — a design that mirrors asset-light franchise logic applied to insect agriculture. For foodservice operators and poultry-supply chain buyers tracking alternative protein inputs, the model offers a potential near-term pathway to omega-3-enriched animal protein at regional scale.

For more on emerging ingredient innovation in protein supply, see our coverage of alternative protein developments in commercial foodservice.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.