BioMar teams up with French insect business

Feed group BioMar and French biotech company Agronutris, which specialises in transforming insects into protein, have signed a long-term partnership to develop the next generation of black soldier fly meal specifically designed for aquafeed.

BioMar said that after years of research and development insect meal is now seen as a promising new ingredient on a clear pathway to being widely adopted a wide portfolio of insect meals design for aquaculture are entering the market.

Fernando Norambuena, Global Category Manager for Novel Raw Materials at BioMar, said: “Black soldier fly (BSF) meal has always been an interesting prospect that could be well suited for aquafeeds.

“In Agronutris we have found a partner that shares our mission and dedication to reducing the environmental impacts of our aquafeeds.

“They have developed a scalable model for black soldier fly able to meet the nutritional and sustainability profile required by us and the industry.”

BioMar added that through detailed attention to its feedstock sourcing, 12 years of R&D achievements, and significant industrial investment, the Agronutris solution is bringing a stable, high-quality product with a high sustainability performance demonstrated by a robust life-cycle assessment.

Agronutris aims to establish BSF as an ingredient for the circular economy that has an impact at a scale relevant to the aquaculture industry.

Chris Haacke, Director of Business Development at Agronutris, said: “For insect meal to successfully make its way into aquafeeds, it must demonstrate high nutritional value and support good growth and health for the fish and shrimp.

“Our innovative product has a great nutritional profile that is well suited for the aquaculture industry.

“At Agronutris, we are working closely with BioMar to create the ideal product that will meet their ambitious sustainability parameters.”

Vidar Gundersen, Global Sustainability Director at BioMar, added: “A truly sustainable insect meal should be decoupled from the human food supply chain and fed off a substrate based on waste foods and by-products.

“With Agronutris, we see a viable, scalable model for producing black soldier fly meal that could see this product become a good source of nutrition in aquaculture.”