Asian biotech firm Nutrition Technologies has been given approval to export Malaysian insect meal into UK and EU markets. The insect meal is approved for use across Europe as pet food or as aquatic and livestock feed.
Last month, the Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture gave its consent for Nutrition Technologies to export its insect meal and oil into the EU and UK markets, making it the first company in Malaysia with this level of approval. Its products previously only available to customers across Asia-Pacific.
Nutrition Technologies, which has facilities in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam, manufactures and supplies insect protein meal, oil and frass (insect manure). Using a combination of beneficial microbes and a low-energy production model, the company rears Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) on clean and traceable agro-industrial by-products. As a tropical species, the Black Soldier Fly larvae grow quickly and efficiently in the Malaysian climate, meaning that only small amounts of energy are required to grow or breed the flies, helping to keep production costs low.
Many pet food manufacturers are investigating how insect-based meat can help them reduce their carbon footprint, as approximately 25% of greenhouse gas emissions associated with meat production are generated through use in petfood and tropically-farmed insects produce a fraction of the emissions of traditional meat.
The insect-based products are suitable for application in pet food, livestock and aquatic feed, and have a range of functional benefits, including therapeutic applications in pets that have allergies to common petfood proteins.
Nutrition Technologies’ larvae are fed only vegetable-based agro-industrial materials such as palm and grain by-products, and the insect meal is fully compliant with EU regulations, according to co-founder and co-ceo Nick Piggott.
He said: “This is a significant step forward in giving European pet food manufacturers more sustainable options in their choice of feed ingredients. While there is a rapidly growing demand for sustainable pet foods, there is very little product available in Europe.
“This development opens the door for new manufacturers to release insect-based products, and for existing manufacturers to both reduce their costs and improve their environmental footprint.”
The global insect protein market was valued at US$343 million (£284m) in 2021, and is expected to grow at more than 20% per year to reach US$1.3 billion (£1.1bn) by 2027. The sector has seen investment totalling nearly US$1 billion, but only a small number of companies have reached industrial scale.
