A group of French trout farmers have started using insect protein in the diets of their fish – the move is part of a tie-up between a local insect meal producer, InnovaFeed, and retailing giant, Auchan.
Netherlands-based insect protein and lipid producer, Protix, has raised €45m (US$50.2) in funding in an investment round involving Aqua-Spark, Rabobank, BOM and various private investors.
Three young Irish entrepreneurs are on the cusp of bringing to market insect protein and oil after securing second round funding of €1m for their “revolutionary” insect farming venture, Hexafly.
French insect protein player Ynsect is warming up the aquaculture feed market in advance of next July, with the release of research results that substantiate the growth performance of its TMP insect meal in shrimp.
'The industrial scale will be in the many 10s of thousands of tons per annum'
The EU Commission has not put the brakes on the regulatory amendments process to enable authorization of insect protein use in fish feed, said insect producers.
Dutch compound feed and premix manufacturer, ForFarmers, is continuing its extensive research into the use of insect protein in feed, this time looking at the safety aspects of feedstocks for the insects.
Results of insect meal fish, pig and poultry feeding trials released
Researchers, publishing the findings of extensive feeding trials with insect derived meal today, called for a review of insect protein legislation in the EU and funding to help address its protein deficit.
Three quarters of EU-wide consumers polled would be “comfortable” eating livestock fed on insect protein, says the organization behind the survey - the €3m EU funds backed insect to feed research initiative, PROteINSECT.
