Insect protein extraction: the future of sustainable farming?

14-06-2019

While insect farming might be a controversial topic for most, no one can deny that is becoming a more and more booming market. The reason for that is quite simple: growing concerns about environmental sustainability, and the ever-increasing world population, the demand for new, suitable sources of protein has also increased. Many industries have already come to the realization that the current agriculture simply won’t be able to keep up with the expected changes.

In contrast, insect protein processing not only presents a new viable source of nutrients, but also comes with a whole assortment of benefits, which has already led to many health and environmentally conscious consumers to consider them as a better alternative compared to animal proteins like cattle and poultry. The benefits of insect protein consumption include:

• They reproduce a lot faster
• Their life cycle is a lot shorter
• Farming them doesn’t require nearly as much time, space and money as other animals do
• They can produce the same amount of meat with less feed
• Insect farming is a lot more ethical and green
• Insect protein has great nutritional value
• Their superior digestive systems enable them to be a clean source of food
• It’s so easy, you can even farm insects in your own home

With so many benefits related to their farming and consumption, it’s no exaggeration to say that insect farming will play a great role indeed in the future of sustainable agriculture. There are hundreds of edible species that can be converted into protein powder, like mealworms, crickets, or the increasingly popular black soldier fly larvae (BSFL). The popularity of the former can easily be explained: they can be fed even with organic waste generated from other agricultural processes, from which they can extract up to 70% of protein. Thanks this, they are an excellent sustainable food source for humans and animals alike, making them a viable option for many businesses.

If you were to decide to try your luck with insect protein extraction, you would certainly have a demand for your end-products. There is a vast range of potential customers looking for quality protein sources, from farmers and agri- and aquacultural specialist who need it for animal feed, to companies who produce powders, shakes, and various protein bars for athletes and health conscious people alike. While it is true that compared to our eastern colleagues the western world is still on the fence about eating insects whole, protein powders and other insect based products can provide the ideal introductory step.

So how does one go about insect protein processing exactly? Companies like Celitron can be a great help in getting you set up, with a device like the ISS AGRI Facility. Basically, it is an automated, continuous process that was built just for this purpose. It is perfectly equipped with everything needed to process all temperature sensitive species, separate oil and water, and recover all valuable proteins. All this in one single cycle, making the ISS AGRI Facility a very user-friendly device.