Bühler and Protix start insect joint venture
Bühler, known for its feed processing equipment and Protix, an insect production company have founded Bühler Insect Technology Solutions. This joint venture will develop scalable, industrial solutions for the rearing, and processing of insects to provide protein primarily for animal feed and food.
Protix has demonstrated industrial-scale production in a way that is scalable and multipliable. They have proven how to create a market in insect protein. Bühler has 150 years of experience in building feed plants and milling, one of the key process steps for extracting protein from insects.
“By combining the knowledge and experience of our two companies, we can provide industrial insect processing solutions to address the alternative protein market,” explains Ian Roberts, CTO of Bühler. “Together, we can develop both sustainable and cost effective solutions for large-scale insect producers and processors that cover the whole value chain,” adds Kees Aarts, CEO of Protix.
Bühler Insect Technologies is located in Liyang, China and has already begun operations. The goal of the joint venture is to develop industrial scale solutions for feedstock processing, larvae rearing and larvae processing, and to produce high-quality insect ingredients – covering the whole value chain from rearing to separation and extraction of proteins and lipids. Initially, the focus will be on larvae of the Black Soldier Fly, nicknamed the ‘Queen of waste transformation’ for its impressive ability to transform organic waste products into high-quality protein.
Subsequently there will be a diversification to other insects, such as mealworms. The insect proteins will be used primarily for the production of sustainable animal feed, for example in aquaculture, which is the fastest growing agricultural segment in the world.
Source: Bühler
