Tyson Foods has entered a two-fold investment with Netherlands-based insect ingredient formulator Protix to upcycle its by-products such as Black Soldier Fly Larva (BSFL) into high-quality, sustainable insect proteins and lipids.
The deal gives the food giant a minority stake in Protix, in addition to the construction of a BSFL production facility in the US, which is poised to be the “first at-scale facility” of its kind.
The investment shows how the meat giant continues to diversify its operations.
Protix will leverage its technology and Tyson Foods’ global scale, connections and experience to meet current market demand and bolster the production of insect ingredients, which is increasing in line with the global push toward finding alternative proteins to feed the world’s growing population.
“We identified the insect ingredient industry as a developing market with exponential growth potential that would ultimately propel our growth strategy forward. Through our partnership with Protix, we will be able to activate full circularity within our value chain by upcycling food manufacturing by-products into high-quality insect proteins,” John R. Tyson, chief financial officer of Tyson Foods, tells Food Ingredients First.
He also flags that the proposed US plant will be an enclosed system to “support all aspects of insect protein production, including breeding, incubating and hatching insect larvae.”
Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.
A reusable protein source
BSFL can eat up to twice their body weight daily, which the companies will use to enable a closed-loop recycling system by creating a reusable protein source to reduce land and water resources demands through effective use of animal by-products.
“Tyson Foods’ investment is particularly focused on the development of high-quality proteins for use within premium pet food and as protein alternatives for aquatic organisms,” underscores Tyson.
To upcycle its food manufacturing by-products, the company processes its premises’ by-products, such as the stomach contents of processed cattle, into a viable feed source for insects, he tells us.
“Insects are then processed into high-quality protein products utilized primarily by the aquaculture and pet food industries.”
According to Protix, it uses waste from the food industry as feed for the black soldier fly (BSF). Then, the insects are processed into valuable nutrients such as proteins and lipids, which can be used as ingredients within livestock and plant feed.
Moreover, residual streams from the insects are used as organic fertilizer. This way, insects close the loop and bring the food system back in balance with nature.
“We can immediately use their existing byproducts as feedstock for our insects. This agreement is a major milestone for Protix and significantly accelerates our ambition to grow through international partnerships,” says Kees Aarts, CEO of Protix.
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