The LCA study, it claims, shows that land and water use, as well as CO2 emissions, are considerably lower for its insect-based ingredients than for conventional ingredients such as soy protein concentrate, palm kernel oil or fishmeal.
According to the findings of the DIL run exercise, the Dutch company’s ProteinX insect meal (at 1.149 kg CO2 equivalent) has nearly a seven-fold lower CO2 footprint than soy protein concentrate (at 7.5 kg CO2 equivalent) used in livestock and aqua feed.
In addition, Flytilizer, Protix's insect-based fertilizer, showed only 0.02 kg CO2 equivalent per kilogram of product, as per the data readout.
The DIL report also found that each kilogram of ProteinX reduces water consumption by 330 liters (190 liters vs 520 liters for soy protein concentrate), said the firm.
Replacing coconut oil with LipidX in pet food and livestock feed returns over 12m2 of arable land to nature for each kilogram of fats. LipidX uses 0.898 m2 of land compared with coconut oil at 12.98 m2, reported the company.
Kees Aarts, CEO and joint founder of Protix, said the findings confirm the sustainability of its insect products. “We are now in a position to build on our results and expand internationally. With new international production plants, we are confident of achieving even better sustainability results.”
The developer outlined how it is also in the process of building a broader scientific basis for its portfolio through collaboration with customers, scientific and academic institutions, and other stakeholders.
Rearing substrates
Meanwhile, the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF) saw over 150 participants from Europe and beyond gather for its annual event in Brussels yesterday.
The conference involved several high-level speakers, experts in the fields of insect production and other agri-food sectors, along with representatives of the EU Commission, the EU Parliament, and the UN Organisation for Food and Agriculture (FAO).
‘The role of alternative proteins such as insects can help to reduce our dependence on critical feed materials and mineral fertilisers and support the transition to sustainable food systems, while contributing to addressing increasing food security challenges, in wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine," commented IPIFF president, Adriana Casillas, in her opening speech.
The keynote speaker, Francisco Reviriego Gordejo, head of the animal health unit at DG SANTE, underlined the reforms, to date, under the EU Farm to Fork Strategy, which have contributed to supporting the growth of the insect sector including the authorisation of insect proteins for pig and poultry feed and the creation of baseline standards for insect frass. He also discussed moves underway aimed at further harnessing the circulatory potential of insects including the idea of using former foodstuffs containing meat and fish as substrate for insects.
"Diversifying the spectrum of authorised substrates used in insect farming is considered as key to reducing the footprint of insect farming activities while representing a promising opportunity for tackling the problem of food waste," according to IPIFF's Antoine Hubert.
