The increasing interest in insects as food or feed has attracted growing research attention due to their high efficiency in the use of resources such as energy, water, and land. Galleria mellonella, an insect with potential for both food and feed applications, is currently constrained by high production costs, largely driven by diet formulation. At the same time, the food industry contributes to exacerbating pressure on waste management systems in Mediterranean countries. The FrontAg Nexus project investigated the small-scale rearing of Galleria mellonella (wax moth) larvae as a valuable, protein- and fat-rich feed ingredient, using alternative diets based on food-industry waste streams. Food-industry by-products can be adopted as alternative ingredients to replace components of the conventional Galleria mellonella diet, in line with circular economy principles. This approach not only reduces production costs of the rearing but also alleviates pressure on urban waste management systems.
