French start-up InnovaFeed, which specializes in the production of high-quality insect meals for the feed industry, more specifically for the aquaculture sector, has achieved Friend of the Sea (FoS) and Friend of the Earth (FoE) certifications.
The biotech company, which has its processing plant in Gouzeaucourt in Northern France, is a pioneer in the production of high-quality protein from insects (black soldier flies or hermetia illucens).
“Insect breeding is the future,” said the company’s commercial director, Maye Walraven, stressing the need for natural and sustainable solutions to feed the growing world population and to protect our planet.
“InnovaFeed’s innovating insect rearing process is deployed on an industrial scale to address the strain on quality protein to support the growth of sustainable aquaculture. Furthermore, our activity restores insect to its natural function in our ecosystem as part of the natural diet of most fish species,” Walraven noted.
InnovaFeed’s production plant is in Cambresis, one of the areas that generate the most agricultural by-product in France.
The company employs waste originated by the cereal and sugar agro-industries to create a substrate where the larvae grow, noted Pietro Serratore, project manager at Friend of the Earth, adding that the company’s production process utilizes those by-products locally and is waste-free.
The firm collects the insect dejection to produce fertilizers and optimizes energy efficiency thanks to high-perf orming equipment and materials, Serratore added, pointing to Friend of the Earth’s stringent environmental targets.
« It’s the first time that a company receives both Friend of the Sea and Friend of the Earth certifications« , Serratore also pointed out.
Friend of the Sea is an international certification standard that attests sustainable practices in fisheries, aquaculture and in fishmeal and fish oil production ».
Friend of the Sea logo is widely recognized across international markets, certifying stringent controls over environmental, economic and social responsibility.
Friend of the Earth is an international certification standard that attests sustainable practices in the agriculture and animal husbandry sectors.
InnovaFeed
InnovaFeed is a biotech company that produces a new source of protein from insect rearing (Hermetia illucens) for animal feed, more specifically for aquaculture.
InnovaFeed’s mission is to participate in the rise of sustainable food systems by addressing the increasing demand for natural, healthy and competitive raw materials.
Combining one of the largest production capacities on the market and state of the art research in biotechnology, InnovaFeed has developed innovative technology and process enabling the production of high-quality insect meal at industrial scale and at a competitive price.
Additional information : www.innovafeed.com
