From Bugs To Bowls: Consumer Acceptance, Nutritional Quality, And Functional Fibre In Insect-based Pet Diets

Promovendus/a
Baptista da Silva, Camila
Faculteit
Faculteit Diergeneeskunde
Vakgroep
Vakgroep Morfologie, Beeldvorming, Orthopedie, Revalidatie en Voeding
Curriculum
Camila Baptista da Silva was born on November 17, 1993, in São Paulo, Brazil. She obtained her degree in Veterinary Medicine from São Paulo State University, Campus of Botucatu, in 2015. During her final year, she discovered her passion for Animal Nutrition and has followed this path ever since. Between 2016 and 2018, she completed a residency in animal nutrition and clinical nutrition of dogs and cats at UNESP, Campus of Jaboticabal. Afterwards, she worked for one year in the scientific department of a Brazilian pet food company (PremierPet), where she had the opportunity to share her clinical nutrition expertise with veterinarians and students. Driven by her professional passion for working closely with animals and her personal love of travelling, she decided to embark on an adventure and moved to Belgium in 2019. For the next three years, she was a resident in the animal nutrition team at Ghent University, following the ECVCN (European College of Veterinary and Comparative Nutrition) residency program. In April 2022, she began her PhD at the same university as part of an FWO-SBO project. Since then, Camila has supervised multiple master’s students and presented her work at several international scientific congresses. She has authored and co-authored several scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals. Her research has gained visibility beyond academia, with several magazines and media outlets, such as Pet Food Industry and The New York Times, highlighting her work to the public.
Academische graad
Doctor in de diergeneeskundige wetenschappen
Taal proefschrift
Engels
Promotor(en)
Prof. dr. Myriam Hesta, Department of Morphology, Imaging, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UGent - Prof. dr. Mia Eeckhout, Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, UGent

Korte beschrijving

The growing interest in sustainable pet food has led to the exploration of insects as an alternative protein source. Despite their nutritional potential and lower environmental impact compared to conventional animal proteins, the acceptance of insect-based diets by pet owners and their physiological effects on companion animals remain insufficiently understood. This doctoral research aimed to address these gaps by combining consumer studies, nutritional evaluations, and controlled feeding trials in dogs and cats. The general introduction (Chapter 1) provides an overview of sustainability challenges in the pet food industry and the role of alternative protein sources, with a particular focus on insects. It reviews current literature on insects as food and feed, including nutritional properties, health implications, and consumer acceptance, and introduces the concept of chitin as a functional fibre component.

Praktisch

Datum
Woensdag 18 maart 2026, 17:00
Locatie
Auditorium D, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke

If you would like to attend, please register before March 11, by email to Camila.BaptistaDaSilva@Ugent.be