EUROPE- Nutrition Technologies, an insect-based protein ingredients manufacturer operating in Malaysia and Singapore, will now be exporting its insect meal to the European Union (EU), the first company from Malaysia to gain this approval.
According to the company, in 2022, Malaysia, Canada, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and South Korea became eligible to export insects and insect-based products to the EU.
The Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture approved Nutrition Technologies to export its insect meal and oil as feed ingredients for aquafeed, livestock, and pet food to the European market and the UK.
Nutrition Technologies manufactures and supplies insect protein meal, oil, and frass (insect manure) to feed the growing agriculture and feed industries worldwide.
The company rears a tropical species of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) that grow quickly and efficiently in the ambient Malaysian climate.
The BSFL larvae are fed only vegetable-based agro-industrial materials such as palm and grain by-products.
The resulting insect meal is fully compliant with EU regulations, and the facility in which the larvae are produced is GMP & HACCP certified.
These certifications are prerequisites in ensuring approval for international trade, especially now that premiumization is a popular trend in pet food processing.
These insect-based products are suitable for aquatic feed, livestock feed, and pet food with functional benefits for animals’ health and growth.
According to Nutrition Technologies, the EU approval opens the doors to the rapidly growing insect-based pet food sector in Europe and gives aquafeed manufacturers a new and sustainable source of protein in feeds. Moreover, it is a significant economic boost for Malaysia- which is heavy on agricultural exports.
Nutrition Technologies currently ships industrial volumes of material throughout Asia and South America from its two-hectare factory in Malaysia and this approval strengthens its ingredients portfolio.
First sustainable commercial dog food using BSFL in Malaysia
In other news, Nutrition Technologies has an ongoing project with pet food manufacturer Pet World Nutrition and animal welfare group SPCA in Selangor to launch the first sustainable commercial dog food in Malaysia formulated with BSFL protein.
These partners plan to promote the use of BSFL in commercial pet food products, facilitate educational initiatives on the benefits of BSFL within the country, and support more sustainable living, which involves reducing carbon footprints and giving back to communities through the Cause for the Stray campaign.
This partnership could see Malaysia properly use about 38,000 metric tons of food waste produced in the country daily.
According to Nutrition Technologies, the BSFL could turn this waste into an insect meal protein for pet food, hence the partnership between the three organizations.
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