Neptune sells first insect-based aquafeed
Zeigler Bros in Gardners, Pensylvania, will be the first customer of Neptune Industries, a developer of sustainable solutions for aquaculture, headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, to purchase 40 tonnes per month of Ento-Protein™, an insect-based alternative to fishmeal.
Ento-Protein is a high quality sustainable protein derived from insects,
which is intended to be a replacement for the rapidly depleting fishmeal made
from wild caught feedstock species.
Founded in 1935, privately held
Ziegler Bros is a manufacturer of high quality animal feeds.
Neptune
plans on opening the first of its production facilities in late 2008. Deliveries
are expected to begin by the end of this calendar year, following the
establishment of pilot operations.
Neptune CEO Ernest D. Papadoyianis
said, “The reception Neptune has received from around the world since
introducing the product is extremely encouraging. Several other major feed
producers have already requested samples.”
Organic
designation
Papadoyianis said that recently issued guidelines and
recommendations by the USDA Panel on organic standards for seafood, “Make me
quite optimistic that standards will be promulgated for organic fishmeal. As the
‘first mover’ in this new product category, we have every reason to believe that
Ento-Protein will then qualify for an organic designation.”
The company
began a research and testing program for Ento-Protein with Mississippi State
University in 2007, and recently completed the third stage of validation
trials.
Neptune filed a provisional process patent in the Production and
Processing of Select Insects into Protein Meal for Fish and Animal Diets in
February 2006.
About Neptune Industries
Neptune
Industries is a technology company which from inception has
been committed to achieving sustainable, eco-friendly aquaculture by innovating
and pioneering a “total and comprehensive integrated systems solution” approach
to the mission critical challenges facing the Aquaculture Industry
today.
The company operates a sustainable fish farming facility in
Florida City, Florida called Blue Heron Aqua Farms, Inc. Blue Heron Aqua Farms
currently is one of the leading producers of hybrid striped bass, which it
markets nationally and internationally as Everglades Striped
Bass.
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