Tyson Foods, the world’s second-largest processor and marketer of meat, has announced a joint venture with Protix, the world’s largest insect factory, to delve into the world of insect protein and lipid production, targeting the pet food, aquaculture, and livestock industries.
However, the question that looms large is, do insect proteins really hold the key to sustainability, or is this just a trendy leap onto the bandwagon of alternative protein sources?
Tyson Foods and Protix envision an insect protein processing facility on American soil that seeks to transform food manufacturing byproducts into insect proteins and lipids.
According to CNN, “that facility will use animal waste to feed black soldier flies, which will then be turned into food for pets, poultry and fish… Those flies are not going into human food, at this point.”
“The strategic investment will support the growth of the emerging insect ingredient industry and expand the use of insect ingredient solutions to create more efficient sustainable proteins and lipids for use in the global food system,” according to the company’s press release. “The agreement combines Tyson Foods’ global scale, experience and network with Protix’s technology and market leadership to meet current market demand and scale production of insect ingredients.”
It continued, “Tyson Foods and Protix have entered a joint venture for the operation and construction of an insect ingredient facility in the continental United States. Upon completion, it will be the first at-scale facility of its kind to upcycle food manufacturing byproducts into high-quality insect proteins and lipids which will primarily be used in the pet food, aquaculture, and livestock industries.”
John R. Tyson, the Chief Financial Officer of Tyson Foods, and Kees Aarts, CEO of Protix, have lauded this venture.
“Our partnership with Protix represents the latest strategic investment by Tyson Foods in groundbreaking solutions that drive added value to Tyson Foods’ business,” said John R. Tyson. “The insect lifecycle provides the opportunity for full circularity within our value chain, strengthening our commitment to building a more sustainable food system for the future.”
“We are very excited to announce the next step in our international growth strategy. Tyson Foods’ and Protix’s strategic partnership advances our joint work towards creating high-quality, more sustainable protein using innovative technology and solutions,” said Kees Aarts. “Moreover, we can immediately use their existing byproducts as feedstock for our insects. This agreement is a major milestone for Protix and significantly accelerates our ambition to grow through international partnerships.”
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