Future protein sources cannot be overly dependent on arable land and the ocean. Traditional animal feed comes from soybeans and fishmeal, two raw materials that put a huge strain on natural environmental resources, agricultural protein requires a lot of land and water, and 67% of fishmeal comes from marine wild fishing.
Black water fly larvae dried
Insects as a renewable resource to meet the human and animal protein needs, insect resources development and utilization in recent years has been put on the agenda, since 2018, the global insect industrialization ushered in a leap forward.
According to the United Nations, 1/3 of the food is wasted each year, and most of it goes to landfills. At the same time, there is too much garbage and there is a shortage of protein.
Insect farming or insect biomass conversion refers to the fact that insect larvae eat organic solid waste (kitchen waste, food waste, etc.), convert it into higher nutrients (such as protein, etc.), and local organic waste is recycled and returned to food and feed.
Adult black water fly
Insect farming is simple and has a low threshold, which is suitable for both developing and developed countries. Since organic solid waste is mainly converted, insect protein is mainly used in animal feed rather than human food. Insect protein will reduce the dependence of the aquaculture industry and aquatic products on fishmeal and soybean meal.
At present, black water flies are used more often, maggots are harvested, converted into protein, further processed into biodiesel, and chitin is processed into plastic.
Blackwater fly has only attracted widespread attention in this century, and in recent years, research and development has been deepening, so today's insect protein industry is mainly for start-ups, which are growing rapidly.
At present, the biggest obstacle to the development of the insect protein industry is still the cost, compared with other animal proteins, the cost of insect protein is high. Experts estimate that it will take 5 years or a little longer, and insect protein has a competitive advantage over traditional animal protein.
Black water fly rearing
In recent years, the classification of garbage in some developed cities in China has been further standardized, separating wet garbage (kitchen waste, etc.) from other garbage, providing sufficient raw materials for insect breeding.
The following are internationally renowned insect breeding and deep processing enterprises, with core technologies and continuously raising funds to expand production. Their development concept provides reference for the development of China's insect protein industry, develops the insect protein industry, and realizes rural revitalization.
1 Beta Hatch Corporation, USA
The company was founded in 2015 to develop industrial insect agriculture.
Recently, the company raised $4.8 million to expand the insect industry. The company, which boasts the largest insect protein plant in the United States, uses waste heat to reduce energy consumption and raise mealworms under indoor controlled conditions.
Yellow mealworm dried
30% of the crops are used as livestock and poultry feed, while 60% of the feed and food are wasted, and mealworms convert the waste into high-value protein and oil for animal nutrition.
The company has intellectual property-based technologies, including insect breeding technology, insect matrix feed blending, sustainable production methods, etc.
Organic fertilizer
The company provides whole dried worms as animal feed. The company produces insect fertilizer, which is certified as an organic fertilizer.
The company is also building a platform to provide technology and insect breeding to smallholder farmers.
2 EnviroFlight, USA
It was the first commercial insect farming company in the United States.
Black water flies are farmed to provide high-quality dried larvae, insect powder, insect oil for poultry, pigs, aquatic animals and pet feed.
Dried larvae
The company has a research and development center to study the breeding technology of black water fly, improve the biotransformation efficiency of black water fly, improve the maximum spawning capacity and nutritional potential of black water fly. The company also conducts innovative research on the further processing of insects for use in the feed industry.
In 2021, the company will establish a new research and development center covering insect biology, genetics and immunity, and animal nutrition.
3 Canadian Entreera Feed Corp
The use of black water fly recycled food waste such as fruits, vegetables, and grain waste as feed for insects, combined with vertical farm technology, improves production efficiency.
Black water fly culture
Provide dry pupae, mixed feed with others, insect powder and oil, etc.
4 Singapore Protenga Company
The company is headquartered in Singapore and has a factory in Malaysia.
Recently, the company raised $1.6 million to partner with the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, known for its cloning dolly sheep, to improve the black water fly strain through breeding methods to improve conversion efficiency.
Insect protein is provided as livestock feed, aquatic animal feed and pet feed. Insect oil for livestock, poultry and shrimp feeding. The company also has an organic fertilizer production line, where larval manure is converted into fertilizer, a process similar to composting, providing organic fertilizer.
The company has a core technology - smart insect farm, all of which implement mechanization and automation, modular breeding. A new generation of industrial-grade data-controlled insect rearing technology. Biotechnology: improved insect varieties, insect and microbial combination, biotransformation technology, fermentation technology, etc.
The company plans to promote their technology in the Asia-Pacific region and is currently serving Singapore and Malaysia.
5 Insectta, Singapore
The company upgraded from its early days as animal feed to insect deep processing, i.e. extraction of valuable compounds and processing into biomaterials.
Black water fly eggs
Deeply developed chitosan for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, packaging materials and agriculture.
Processed into chitosan
Developed into organic semiconductors, biodegradable, for medical equipment, solar energy, electronic equipment, etc.
Protein powders and probiotics and black water fly composts are also developed.
6 Agriprotein, South Africa
Founded in 2008, the company is one of the world's largest multinational companies. The company's core objectives: to adopt insect technology, industrially circulate the nutrition of organic solid waste, and develop a circular economy.
In 2017, it cooperated with the British construction company to raise funds to build 100 factories around the world.
The company's R&D center is located in Singapore. The technologies include: natural selection and breeding technology of black water fly, maintaining the strongest waste conversion ability of black water fly and maintaining population diversity; technology related to promoting black water fly mating and increasing egg production; breeding technology, egg to larvae only takes 10 days, weight increase by 200 times; processing technology, larval separation and matrix treatment.
Insect protein (aquatic feed, pet food), insect oil (containing lauric acid), organic compost (containing high P, N and K), etc. are provided.
In 2019, the plant was built in California, USA.