Protix, a leading supplier of insect ingredients for feed and food based in the Netherlands, has presented the results of a life cycle assessment (LCA) carried out by the German Institute of Food Technologies.
According to the study, the insect meal from the black soldier fly in the company's own product Protix X reduces CO2 emissions by 78 per cent compared with poultry meal. Compared with soya protein concentrate, an ingredient frequently used in aquaculture, CO2 emissions are reduced by up to 89 per cent. The product Lipid X insect fat drastically reduces land use and requires 99.9 per cent less compared with coconut oil. Coconut oil is often used as a source of fat in livestock and aquaculture feed and animal feed. The Puree X insect meat uses 99.8 per cent less water than poultry meat, which is used in pet food as a high-moisture protein source.
"We are proud to be leading innovation in our industry towards low-footprint proteins," says Kees Aarts, CEO of Protix. The German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL), which conducted the LCA, is a private research provider with around 150 member companies from the food industry and related sectors.