ISRAEL— Insect biology specialist FreezeM Cryogenics Ltd and Insect industry pioneer, Hermetia Baruth GmbH have set up a strategic alliance for the joint production and distribution of PauseM – ready-to-use packages of suspended Black Soldier Fly (BSF) neonates throughout Europe.
With production set to begin before the end of the year, the partners expect to produce 1,500 PauseM packages per day, each containing 50,000 high-quality suspended BSF neonates with expended shelf-life of 14 days.
The production capacity will further increase to 4,500 packages a day during 2023. This capacity can support the production of 15-45 tons of grown larvae/day at the customers sites.
According to GrandviewResearch, the global insect protein market size was valued at USD 249.9 million in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.4% from 2021 to 2028, thus Gilad foresees great market demand for such a service.
“We expect the demand to grow dramatically after we prove our product at scale, since customers will be able to see its true value in their own production environments. We see a decoupled model as the most scalable and sustainable future for the insect farming industry,” said Gilad.
“The synergy between Hermetia and FreezeM enables us to create new opportunities for existing and new BSF protein producers that will enhance the entire industry and support it in producing insect protein in a scalable and consistent manner,” Dr Yuval Gilad, FreezeM CEO, told FeedNavigator.
We expect the demand to grow dramatically after we prove our product at scale, since customers will be able to see its true value in their own production environments. We see a decoupled model as the most scalable and sustainable future for the insect farming industry
Hermetia is responsible for the breeding and the production of commercial scale quantities of neonates, while, FreezeM will look after post-breeding activities – quality control, counting and dosing of the neonates – along with induction of suspended animation for extended neonate shelf-life and European-wide distribution.
The packages are targeted at any scale of insect producer, from existing players to new ones, and even startups that are at the product development stage, said the CEO.
“Currently, producers need excessive amounts of eggs to mitigate daily fluctuation, decreases in breeding production levels, or colony collapses. These players can replace a portion of their breeding [stock] with PauseM packages and thus ensure stable production.
Thus, new producers, he continued, can set up a pilot or a commercial scale production facility, buying the equipment needed directly from engineering companies supplying the market, and they can start producing immediately.
In addition, startups that develop insect-based products can avoid the hassle of maintaining an expensive colony and reach the market faster with less capital investment, said Gilad.
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