PARIS, France (Reuters) — French start-up company Ynsect has identified a cheap, nourishing and locally sourced alternative to soybeans as a source of protein in animal feed.
Jean-Gabriel Levon, co-founder of Ynsect, said new protein sources are essential in a market where costs are set to climb.
The company, which has around 10 rivals globally, is raising funds to build the first European insect meal production unit by 2014-15. One well-heated part of the plant would breed insects and the other would crush them into powder.
It aims to focus on using flies and beetles and Levon says a great advantage is that they can eat just about anything, such as human food leftovers.
Once crushed, co-products such as shells can be used in the pharmaceutical sector, for cosmetics and wastewater treatments.
As well, insect droppings make good fertilizer.
According to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, protein such as meat meal, fishmeal and soybean meal now make up 60 to 70 percent of the price of feed.
