FEED giant Skretting signed a deal with insect meal producer Protix last month that could see up to 5.5 million salmon servings a year with the alternative protein in the diet.
News of the agreement came as Protix officially opened its state-of-the-art insect production facility in Bergen op Zoom, in the Netherlands.
The event was attended by King Willem-Alexander, as well as Dr Jenna Bowyer, Skretting project procurement manager, and Jose Villalon, Nutreco (Skretting’s parent company) corporate sustainability director.
A 30 million tonne projected increase in aquaculture production in the near future means there will be a need for an additional 45 million tonnes of raw material, said Skretting.
Commercial production of insect meal could help meet this demand in a sustainable way, the company added.
Protix, which produces protein from black soldier fly (hermetia illucens), showed guests around its new plant.
‘This opening marks a real transformation for the entire insect industry, not just for Protix,’ said Protix CEO Kees Aarts.
‘This nursery is unique in the Netherlands, Europe and the world. We are delighted that companies like Skretting are enabling the growing sector of insect protein.’
Skretting is committed to the development of novel ingredients, with huge investment in R&D.
Bower said: ‘It is essential for us that these new ingredients are not only safe and sustainable, but also ensure that the end product maintains the nutritional benefits we have come to expect from high quality seafood.
‘The aquaculture industry is very large and growing, and it is essential for us to see novel ingredients brought to commercial scale.
‘We at Skretting support Protix in their developments and we look forward to working with more players in this field.’