One of the largest insect meal producers in Europe, French company InnovaFeed has achieved Friend of the Sea and Friend of the Earth certification.
French start-up InnovaFeed, which specialises in the production of high-quality insect meals for the feed industry, specifically for the aquaculture sector, has achieved both Friend of the Sea (FoS) and Friend of the Earth (FoE) certification.
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, 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.”
InnovaFeed’s production plant is in Cambresis, one of the areas that generate the most agricultural by-product in France.
The company utilises waste originating from the cereal and sugar agro-industries to create a substrate where the larvae grow, according to Pietro Serratore, project manager at Friend of the Earth, adding that the company’s production process utilises those by-products locally and is waste-free.
The firm collects the insect dejection to produce fertilisers and optimises energy efficiency thanks to high-performing equipment and materials, he said, 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," he said.
