<em>Blatticomposting</em> as a Novel Approach for Slaughterhouse Waste Bioconversion with Cockroaches

Abstract Cockroaches are a promising biological tool for processing biodegradable waste due to their resilience and ability to consume a wide range of organic material. Through their metabolism, they convert organic material into a humus-like substrate known as frass or blatticompost, which can potentially be used as an agricultural fertiliser. This study investigates the ability of the cockroach species Blaptica dubia, Blatta lateralis and Blaberus giganteus to process slaughterhouse by-products and compares their biocon-version efficiency, nutrient composition, chemical properties and microbiological pro-file of the resulting frass as a compost with that of cockroaches fed on conventional biowaste. By comparing these properties with conventional composting methods and the relevant literature, this research aims to provide new insights into the efficiency of blatticomposting as an alternative organic waste management strategy. The results suggest that cockroaches can effectively break down organic material, significantly reducing the volume of waste while producing compost with favorable chemical and microbiological properties. Furthermore, the inclusion of slaughterhouse waste in the process extends the potential application of blatticomposting to protein-rich organic residues that are otherwise difficult to manage sustainably. This study contributes to this topic by exploring the feasibility of integrating blatticomposting into existing waste management systems, highlighting both the benefits and the necessary precautions in terms of biosecurity and public health risks. Proper containment and monitoring of cockroach populations and risk assessment for pathogen transmission are key consid-erations for the practical implementation of this approach. The absence of hazardous levels of heavy metals and pathogenic microorganisms indicates that cock-roach-mediated bioconversion can produce a chemically stable and microbiologically safe organic amendment.