AFRICA'S NO.1 FOOD, BEVERAGE & MILLING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

European Union allows commercialization of dried yellow mealworm

May 5, 2021May 5, 2021 Editor

EUROPE – The European Union has approved the commercialization of of dried yellow mealworm and derived products across in its market following a novel food application submitted by the French insect producer Agronutris. With the approval, Agronutris now becomes the first European insect producer officially authorized to sell insects as human food in the EU. Additionally, this authorization will also benefit companies which intend to incorporate the ingredients produced or commercialized by Agronutris into insect-based products. This approval by the EU follows a recent publication by the European Food Safety…

Valusect invests in 17 SMEs to bolster development of insect protein market in Northern Europe

Apr 29, 2021Apr 29, 2021 Editor

EUROPE – ValuSect, a European insect production project, has announced that it will invest over US$572 million in supporting 17 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) located in North-West Europe to develop their insect-based food business. The 17 selected SMEs are located in the UK (6), the Netherlands (6), Germany (2), Belgium (1), Switzerland (1) and France (1) and are expected to receive support in form of services which include technological food development and innovation, consumer acceptance and strategic business services. According to a report by Food Ingredients first, each of…

Bühler launches new malting equipment for small scale brewers

Mar 24, 2021Mar 24, 2021 Editor

SWITZERLAND – Swiss food technology group, Bühler has launched new malting equipment specifically meant for small to mid-sized craft beer producers. Called RimoMalt, the new equipment offers users unprecedented flexibility and brings investments down to an all-time low, according to the company. The company notes that with the new equipment craft producers can start off with very small batch sizes with an output that is easily scalable from 1,000 to up to 17,000 tons per year thanks to its modular system. The fully insulated and cladded steep house starts at…

Aspire advances entomophagy in Canada with planned construction of new cricket protein facility

Feb 22, 2021Feb 22, 2021 Editor

CANADA – America based insect company Aspire Food Group is set to build a new cricket protein facility in Canada as part of its efforts to promote the adoption of entomophagy (consumption of edible insects) as an alternative to animal proteins. The new facility will be constructed at a cost of US$13.2 million and is expected to produce nearly 20,000 metric tonnes of products annually. The insect agriculture firm Aspire claims that the new plant in London, Ontario, will be the world’s first fully automated cricket protein manufacturing facility. Operations…

Demand for alternative proteins to foster growth of insect food and feed markets in 2021 – IPIFF

Feb 9, 2021Feb 9, 2021 Editor

GLOBAL – The insect food and feed markets are forecast to grow this year as consumer preferences continue to shift away from animal-based proteins. The shift from animal proteins is stimulated by consumer awareness of the significant carbon footprint of livestock production which directly contributes to global warming. Comparatively, insect proteins require smaller amount of physical space, eliminating the need to clear forests for animal agriculture and have a significantly smaller carbon footprint. This makes insect rearing a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way of producing proteins. Additionally, insect proteins…

EU food safety authority approves yellow mealworms as safe for consumption

Jan 18, 2021Jan 18, 2021 Editor

EUROPE – European citizens might soon have yellow mealworms at their plates following an approval by the European Food Safety Authority declaring the insects safe for consumption. This follows a positive safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (ESFA) of an application from Agronutris, a French insect-based protein producer. The approval is a significant regulatory hurdle as the yellow mealworms will become the first insect to be identified as safe for consumption. Analysts believe that this landmark approval may hasten similar progress for other species and their related product…

Kenya ventures into lucrative edible insects market with publication of national standards

Dec 16, 2020Dec 16, 2020 Editor

KENYA – Kenya has established the world’s first national standards regulating the production, handling and processing of insects for food and feed. The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has approved the regulations which were published in the Kenya Gazette. According to reports by Capital fm, the standards provides the requirements guiding the farmers on the rearing of insects including the conditions that will ensure the safety of the harvested produce. It also provides the necessary minimum infrastructural and environmental requirements necessary for optimal production of edible insects. In addition, it…

ValuSect unveils program to support European bug businesses amid rising demand for insect foods

Nov 23, 2020Nov 23, 2020 Editor

EUROPE – There is a gradual rise in demand for insect foods in Europe as more people get to know the value of insect particularly as a sustainable source of proteins. Too address this demand, the European ValuSect (“Valuable Insects”) consortium has kickstarted a program to help firms accelerate the development of insect-based foods in Europe. Under the program, 40 small and media-sized enterprises (SMEs) located in North-West Europe will be selected over a period of 3 years and be supported with funding. The businesses according to ValuSect will be…

AgriProtein set for global expansion with new facilities in the US and Europe

Oct 31, 2019Oct 31, 2019 Editor

SOUTH AFRICA – AgriProtein, the world’s first industrial-scale maggot farm based on organic waste, is set for a global expansion as it plans to open a plant in Jurupa Valley, California in 2020, aimed to fill the gap of shortage of protein and abundance of trash. The plant in Jurupa Valley will be followed by extension of operations in the Netherlands and Belgium, tapping into the demand for high-grade protein for fish and poultry feed while offering a solution for the unwanted organic waste that cities and farms produce. AgriProtein…

Thai Union Group invests in alternative protein startup Flying Spark

Oct 23, 2019Dec 5, 2019 Editor

ISRAEL – Thai Union Group PCL, one of the world’s largest seafood producers headquartered in Thailand has agreed to invest in Israeli FoodTech start-up company Flying Spark to expand the firms’ alternative meat processing capabilities. The two companies are leveraging their expertise and capabilities to develop an important entry in the alternative protein market while enabling Flysing Spark to accelerate its expansion and dedicate efforts towards cost reduction and process improvements. The Flying Spark and Thai Union agreement includes both a strategic partnership and investment to promote larval insect as…