FEATURE
Is flymeal the new fishmeal?
I
by Nick Piggott, CEO & Co-Founder, Nutrition Technologies
Oil and powder
of options in the alternative protein sector, such as micro-algae, t’s no secret that the global population is growing single-celled organisms and insects, which all have significant rapidly, with recent predictions that we will reach advantages over traditional ingredients. 9.1bn people as soon as 2050. It is also well Of the three, insect products have shown the most promise, and documented that much of this population growth is gained the most traction, with extensive research taking place happening in less developed countries - countries at both academic and strategic industry levels. Companies like which are also becoming wealthier (see chart). Nutrition Technologies in Asia, and others in Europe & America, As incomes and levels of education increase, the are working with a global manufacturers, dedicating burgeoning middle classes in these resources to finding, testing and supporting countries are spending more money Nutrition Technologies analysis of BSF amino insect-based protein products. But the real proof on food, and in particular, meat & fish. According acids of the pudding is in the investment – and with to the FAO, annual production is projected to Amino acid mg/g over US$117m USD flowing into insects-as-feed increase from 218 million tonnes in 1997 to 376 Methionine 5 businesses since 2014, the investors have clearly million tonnes by 2030. Lysine 29 picked their horse. This presents a huge opportunity for both Leucine 36.2 aquaculture producers and feed manufacturers, but it’s not going to be easy. 70 percent of the world’s A world of insect potential Isoleucine 27.8 annual agricultural production (including 348 There are over 900,000 distinct insect species, Histidine 13.7 million tonnes of soybeans) is already dedicated to and at any point in time it is estimated that there are Phenylalanine 17.5 feed production, and we are quickly running out of some 10 quintillion (10-18) individual insects alive. Valine 38.7 land to cultivate it. But not all insects are created equal, and there are L-Arginine 31.1 Equally, the supply of marine fishmeal, the clear advantages in producing certain species over Threonine 17 mainstay protein ingredient of many aquafeeds, has others. Nutritionally, crickets, mealworms and fly Tyrosine 26.6 stagnated in recent years, and as a result the price larvae offer the best value. Aspartic Acid 33.2 per tonne has skyrocketed, with little expectation of For example, farmed Black Soldier Fly Larvae Serine 17.3 recovery (see chart). So what next? (Hermetia illucens) typically consist of >50 percent The solution is not simply to find ways to Glutamic Acid 47.4 crude protein (dry matter), with a well-balanced produce more, but instead we need to use resources amino acid profile (see table). Black soldier fly Glycine 22.6 more efficiently, and more effectively. For one, we larvae have been cultivated on a small-scale for pet Alanine 20 can start seriously considering the growing number reptiles and amphibians for years, thanks to their 12 | December 2017 - International Aquafeed