Black Soldier Fly Larvae—Biorefining and Applications

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) has been extensively studied in the past decade for its ability to convert a diverse range of organic wastes to protein and oil rich biomass. It can potentially play an important role in resource management and help meet the protein needs for animal production. The purpose of this review is to highlight the main findings in a few aspects of published research on BSFL, such as its composition, oil and protein extraction strategies and performance, feed quality and nutritional performance for a few animal species, using frass and biorefining co-products as biofertilizers, the potential to use BSFL oil in sustainable aviation fuel production, bioactive compounds and their demonstrated activities, and the need for comprehensive technoeconomic and life cycle analyses. Research needs and challenges, particularly in the areas of BSFL biorefining and products’ nutritional and functional properties and benefits, are discussed. This review does not cover BSFL production and larvae’s biology or its potential to adapt to substrate and application. Also, not all aspects are intended to be reviewed in the same depth, but the references given should guide the readers to explore more in a particular discipline.