Aquaculture: Brussels Approves Insect Meal for Use in Fish Feed

The use of insect protein is expected to be authorized in feed for farmed fish starting July 1, 2017. As a result, salmon, trout, and tilapia will be able to be fed with insect-based meal. Representatives of the EU member states approved a proposal from the European Commission to this effect during the meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food, and Animal Feed (CP Vadaaa) on December 13, 2016. The text is expected to be officially adopted next spring. For European insect producers, this is a major decision that will allow for broader use of insect protein in animal feed. The International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF), which brings together industry stakeholders, welcomed this green light, which represents an important step toward the development of the European and global market for insect production as a source of protein for human consumption and animal feed.     In its opinion dated October 8, 2015*, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) analyzed the biological and chemical risks associated with the production and consumption of insects, both in human food and animal feed. While EFSA identifies uncertainties due to a lack of knowledge, it concludes that the rearing of insects fed with plant-based substrates poses no risk if, as with other animal production, producers adhere to best hygiene practices in accordance with EU legislation on food safety and animal feed safety. But IPIFF does not intend to stop there and already aims to extend Brussels’ authorization to other animal species, such as pigs and poultry, by 2020. The platform is advocating for a corresponding relaxation of EU rules. These changes should, in the long term, help reduce Europe’s dependence on imports of animal proteins, while providing a promising source of protein for farmers and consumers in Europe. As a sign of a booming market, the French startup Ynsect—which produces, among other things, TMP (Tenebrio molitor protein ), a defatted protein meal made from mealworm larvae, has just raised 14.2 million euros from the Ecotechnologies fund, managed by Bpifrance . This funding will enable the company to increase production capacity at its pilot facility in the Jura region and to begin construction of the world’s largest insect production plant. Since its founding in September 2011, the company has become the global leader in this sector. It now aims to produce some 20,000 metric tons of insect protein per year for use in pet and livestock feed, as a replacement for fish meal. To sustainably meet the growing demand for meat and fish, Antoine Hubert, president of Ynsect, aims to “give insects the place they deserve in the global agri-food system.” In terms of animal nutrition, the goal is to feed fish—both carnivorous and omnivorous—a diet with higher nutritional value (72% protein), which is also “suitable for pigs, poultry, and all animals that naturally feed on insects ».   * https://www.efsa.europa.eu/fr/efsajournal/pub/4257