Protein & amino acids

Single-cell protein innovator secures funding to accelerate scale-up

02-Aug-2022 By Lynda Searby

Deep Branch has secured £4.8m (US$5.8m) in funding from the UK government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) £1bn Net Zero Innovation Portfolio to scale up its CO2-to-protein technology.

UK contest seeks methane emissions busting and protein innovation ideas

27-Jul-2022 By Jane Byrne

The UK government is looking to boost innovation in the areas of feeds targeting methane emissions reduction and new sources of resource efficient, low-emission proteins.

Feed additive tracker: Focus on lysine, methionine and vitamin prices

26-Jul-2022 By Jane Byrne

Lysine hydrochloride, in terms of market prices, has experienced the steepest drop of all amino acids since early June, the same cannot be said for lysine sulphate, noted a market report.

EU Commission extends contingency measures for feed imports

26-Jul-2022 By Jane Byrne

The European Commission (EC) has decided to extend the period of relaxation on certain import controls on feed inputs, one element in a crisis package.

Skretting supplying plankton based feed to Andfjord Salmon

14-Jul-2022 By Jane Byrne

Andfjord Salmon, Skretting Norway and Sortland-based Zooca are partnering in relation to a plankton-based feed for the Norwegian land-based salmon producer.

EU renewable ethanol plants saw greater feed output than fuel in 2021

05-Jul-2022 By Jane Byrne

European renewable ethanol industry representatives, ePURE, say its members produced more animal feed than ethanol last year, citing audited data.

Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition extends reach in pet food as it acquires Ohio based firm

01-Jul-2022 By Jane Byrne

Wilbur-Ellis Nutrition is to acquire FL Emmert, a manufacturer and marketer of nutritional products for the pet and livestock industries.

Industry groups still find fault with proposed EU deforestation law

30-Jun-2022 By Jane Byrne

EU feed, grain and oilseed trade groups have welcomed some of the changes made by the Council of the EU in relation to the draft deforestation regulation.

Cargill extends insect protein partnership with Innovafeed

30-Jun-2022 By Jane Byrne

Innovafeed and Cargill have extended their partnership from three to 10 years to jointly develop and market insect meal.

Feed additive tracker: Surging vitamin B5 prices, lower freight rates, weak economic outlook

23-Jun-2022 By Jane Byrne

Vitamins B5 and K3 prices are trading at 52-weeks highs, while vitamin E and amino acids, such as lysine and methionine, are trading slightly softer but at higher-than-previous levels.

EIT Food reveals new cohort of impactful agrifood startups

23-Jun-2022 By Jane Byrne

EIT Food has announced the latest group of companies to join its Food Accelerator Network (FAN) – a total of 61 agrifood startups have been selected to receive support and investment opportunities to grow and scale.

Big six soy traders launch financial and traceability models to protect Cerrado

22-Jun-2022 By Jane Byrne

Leading soy traders have collectively developed a protocol to monitor and trace soybeans from indirect suppliers in the Cerrado, they have also initiated a financial scheme to incentivize sustainable land use practices.

Aker BioMarine secures FDA approval for QRILL Aqua in the US

21-Jun-2022 By Jane Byrne

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized two Aker BioMarine krill-based ingredients for use in freshwater and marine salmonids.

Texas A&M team: Glutamate and glycine hold great promise as cost-effective feed additives

16-Jun-2022 By Jane Byrne

A Texas A&M AgriLife team is working to improve the health, growth and productivity of farmed bass by developing effective nutritional strategies to substitute fishmeal and other protein feedstuffs in their diets.

The veteran’s view: US soy industry slowing shifting away from volume over value model

16-Jun-2022 By Jane Byrne

A transformation is underway in the US soybean market, says former Bunge procurement director, Gordon Denny, who also advices the United Soybean Board and US Soybean Export Council.

Dispatches from VIV Europe 2022

Dutch consortium evaluates insect-derived ingredients for use in broiler diets

03-Jun-2022 By Jane Byrne

Netherlands-based companies are collaborating in a public-private partnership (PPP) over the next two years aimed at developing insects as a source of protein for broiler diets, among other goals.

New Bühler center designed to facilitate growth of insect protein industry

29-May-2022 By Jane Byrne

Bühler has officially opening its new Insect Technology Center (ITC), which is located in Uzwil, Switzerland.

Green Plains in aqua feed tie-up with Riverence Group

20-May-2022 By Jane Byrne

Omaha, Nebraska, headquartered, Green Plains, has formed a joint venture with leading US trout producer, Riverence Group.

Tunicate meal does not compromise pellet quality

13-May-2022 By Jane Byrne

Nofima, in the hunt for new and sustainable fish feed proteins, has been testing the technical quality of tunicate meal, along with its nutritional constraints, since both determine possible inclusion levels in fish feed.

Commodities watch

WASDE: US corn market looking tighter, lots of uncertainty around Black Sea supply

13-May-2022 By Jane Byrne

The USDA released its May World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report yesterday, which includes the first official look toward next season.

Australian team sees no response from broiler chickens to dietary leucine enrichment

12-May-2022 By Jane Byrne

Elevated dietary branched chain amino acids (BCAA) inclusions in wheat-based diets with reduced crude protein levels did not enhance broiler growth, finds a study.

Perdue backs technology designed to boost oil and protein content of soybeans without risking yield

12-May-2022 By Jane Byrne

US based soy processor, Perdue AgriBusiness, and startup, ZeaKal, have announced a multi-year development agreement to raise more sustainable poultry through improved soy genetics and feed quality.

Evonik resumes US production of Mepron for US dairy industry

04-May-2022 By Jim Cornall

Evonik has resumed operations at its Mepron plant in Mobile, Alabama, meaning it will once again supply the US milk and dairy markets from a local source.

Canada: Insect protein startup to build new facility as investors provide US$52m

27-Apr-2022 By Jane Byrne

Canadian insect protein ingredient company, Entosystem Inc, has raised CAD$66m (US$52m), from both public and private investors, to start building a second production facility.

ADM sees continued tightness in global grain markets for next few years

27-Apr-2022 By Jane Byrne

US agribusiness giant, ADM, expects lower crop supplies for the next 18 months and beyond arising from the weak Canadian canola crop, the cut in South American soy and grain output, and Black Sea conflict related disruptions.

Tyson Foods to build new rendering facility in Alabama

19-Apr-2022 By Jane Byrne

Tyson Foods has announced plans to replace its River Valley Ingredients plant in Alabama, US, which was destroyed in a fire last year.

China’s declining fishmeal imports

15-Apr-2022 By Jane Byrne

China’s fishmeal imports in January and February 2022 decreased year on year, with Peru, Russia, and Vietnam the top suppliers of the raw material to the Asian country, finds the IFFO.

Better Origin raises $16m to expand reach of its AI powered mini-insect farms

07-Apr-2022 By Jane Byrne

Mini-insect farm developer, Better Origin, has raised $16m. The funding round was led by Balderton Capital but existing investors Fly Ventures and Metavallon VC also participated.

Study: Krill meal shows potential as functional ingredient in shrimp feed

31-Mar-2022 By Jane Byrne

A new study, carried out in India, indicates krill meal inclusion in shrimp diets can have a positive effect on survival, body weight and fatty acid concentration in the body.

Industry and campaigners see positives in amendments to EU anti-deforestation law

31-Mar-2022 By Jane Byrne

MEP Christophe Hansen's new ENVI report amending the proposal to end imported deforestation into the EU for certain commodities has been praised by industry and some environmentalists, but not all.

What are the consequences of China’s COVID-19 measures on shipping costs?

29-Mar-2022 By Jane Byrne

There has been limited adverse impact, so far, on container freight rates from the COVID-19 imposed restrictions in China.

Finnish SCP startup building pilot plant, planning financing round

29-Mar-2022 By Jane Byrne

Aqua feed targeting Finnish biotech, eniferBio, is gearing up for a Series A investment round.

Insect company, Tebrio, scaling up production in Spain, with aquaculture market firmly in its sights

25-Mar-2022 By Jane Byrne

The aquaculture sector will be a priority market for Spanish mealworm ingredient producer, Tebrio, once its new facilities are online in 2024.

Perdue AgriBusiness to invest over $59m to modernize soybean processing facility in Virginia

25-Mar-2022 By Jane Byrne

US based Perdue AgriBusiness, an independent operating division of Perdue Farms Inc, is to plough US$59.1m into an expansion project at its soy crushing plant in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Arbiom awarded €12m from French government fund to build first plant

17-Mar-2022 By Jane Byrne

Arbiom has received a grant of €12m (US$13.2m) from the France Relance investment program. The French-US company is focused on the production of proteins for feed and food applications, based on the use of agricultural and wood residues.

Feed additives tracker: Chinese lockdowns could cause disruption but market focus is on war and sanctions

14-Mar-2022 By Jane Byrne

China is seeing its biggest COVID-19 outbreaks in two years, with partial or citywide lockdowns in multiple places and mostly for non-essential services. We look at the implications along with potential market disruption from the Black Sea conflict.

To what extent does the EU deforestation law need to be adjusted?

11-Mar-2022 By Jane Byrne

EU feed, grain, and oilseeds sectors warn against the pitfalls of the current EU Commission draft regulation to curb global deforestation. They want to make it more workable.

Protenga raises $2m to scale its insect farming technology

10-Mar-2022 By Jane Byrne

Protenga has closed a US$2m venture debt facility with a syndicate of Singapore-based investors to develop its next generation production facilities and launch YumGrubs, its new pet food brand.

Genetics project looks to boost use of insect protein in feed in East Africa

24-Feb-2022 By Jane Byrne

A new Kenya and Uganda focused project is looking to make insect production for livestock feed sustainable and efficient through the application of selective breeding.

Tightening in global supply of methionine

18-Feb-2022 By Jane Byrne

The current global supply of methionine is relatively tight, says Jared Hux, director of global methionine business, Novus International, Inc.

Protix: Successful selective BSF breeding program ‘puts us about 4 years ahead of the competition’

17-Feb-2022 By Jane Byrne

Insect protein’s sustainability profile has been boosted further by the findings of a selective breeding program, says Protix.

Bühler champions pelleting innovation that cuts carbon emissions at feed mills

16-Feb-2022 By Jane Byrne

Bühler says innovative services it introduced in 2021 in relation to pelleting and moisture control for feed millers reduces the energy consumption of the feed pelleting process and lowers the C02 footprint of feed plants by 4%.

Louis Dreyfus steps up its game on deforestation targets

09-Feb-2022 By Jane Byrne

Commodity trader, Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC), has committed to eliminate deforestation and conversion of native vegetation of high conservation value for agricultural purposes from all its supply chains by December 2025.

Dutch insect producer Protix raises €50m to expand internationally

09-Feb-2022 By Jane Byrne

Impact investors including European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF), BNP Paribas, the Prince Albert II Foundation and The Good Investors have participated in a funding initiative for Protix valued at €50m (US$57.1m)

InnovaFeed readies for major US expansion, targets pet food industry

08-Feb-2022 By Jane Byrne

French innovator, InnovaFeed, has announced a strategic partnership with ADM Petfood to pioneer large scale commercialization of insect protein in pet food in the US.

Si-Ware: NIR based tool allows feed millers to maximize use of high-value raw materials

04-Feb-2022 By Jane Byrne

Si-Ware Systems says its new Near-Infrared (NIR) based feed portable analyzer produces rapid, near-lab grade results in a matter of seconds.

Ÿnsect looks to strengthen insect breeding as global competition intensifies

01-Feb-2022 By Jane Byrne

A new initiative involving France's Ÿnsect is aimed at determining high performing insect breeding lines.

DLG backs Danish insect protein startup business, Enorm closes funding round of €50m

27-Jan-2022 By Jane Byrne

Danish insect protein startup, Enorm Biofactory, has closed a funding round of €50m (US$55.9m).

Hired and Retired: People on the Move January 2022

20-Jan-2022 By Jane Byrne

Plenty of careers buzz this month as execs from Cargill, FrieslandCampina and Elanco Animal Health move on. And this time out, it is a female dominant line-up.

US grain export recovery after Hurricane Ida, geopolitical tensions may see buying patterns shift

18-Jan-2022 By Jane Byrne

Brazil and Argentina are likely to step up corn and soybean exports to China during the US winter months, finds a newly released report from US organization, CoBank.