Beyond The Headlines: Bühler launches insect protein center, FAO-EU food security deal

02 Aug 2024 --- This week in industry news, Bühler unveiled an insect production center in North America and the FAO collaborated with the EU to enhance resilience and food security in Eastern Africa. Meanwhile, dsm-firmenich highlighted mycotoxin risks in agriculture and Juicy Marbles launched plant-based ribs.

Business highlights
Swiss technology group Bühler and NRGene Canada, a subsidiary of genomics company NRGene Technologies, unveiled the North American Insect Center (NAIC), marking a significant leap forward in the production and optimization of insect protein in North America. The NAIC will offer customer trials, workshops, training sessions and seminars to disseminate best practices in insect protein production for industry players. The hub simulates industrial conditions to optimize the growth of black soldier fly larvae, while NRGene’s expertise in genomics and phenotyping enables the development of high-performing BSF strains, driving significant advancements in the field.

The FAO and the EU signed a four-year €47 million (US$ 50.7 million) program to strengthen the resilience of pastoralists in Eastern Africa. The initiative, named “Pastoralism and Livestock Adaptation to Climate Change in Eastern Africa Programme (PLACE),” will address the challenges in developing sustainable, climate-resilient pastoral systems across the environmental, economic and social dimensions of pastoralism in the face of a rapidly changing climate. 

The PLACE program is expected to directly benefit over 100,000 households across Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, the Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda (Image credit: FAO).Steinecker joined forces with Japanese company BET to allow the two companies to serve breweries and alternative-food producers in Japan with state-of-the-art technologies and concepts focusing on sustainability. The move aims to better meet the needs of Japanese customers. Steinecker has also taken its experience in the brewing industry and adapted it to produce alternative foods. For example, Steinecker’s bioreactor offers a system for precision fermentation on an industrial scale.

Launches and innovation
Plant-based meat start-up Juicy Marbles launched a rack of plant-based Baby Ribs with edible bones. The retail-ready version of their plant-based ribs contains 32g of protein/serving (complete amino acid profile), along with micronutrients like iron, zinc, selenium, B vitamins and vitamin b12. The product claims to be free of thickeners and binders (methylcellulose and carrageenan) and contain 100% non-GMO ingredients and a Nutri score of A. The plant-based bones are formulated from pure plant protein, making them 100% compostable. A six-pack product costs US$139. 

Australia’s national science agency, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), opened its Innovate to Grow program for small to medium enterprises (SMEs). It aims to bolster food innovation and technology and help participants examine technical and business challenges, explore R&D opportunities and develop actionable business and funding plans. The initiative is open to SMEs working in food production, beverage manufacturing, traditional and complementary proteins, bio-manufacturing including precision fermentation, sustainable processing and value-adding processes.

Sustainability highlights
Swiss refinery Nutriswiss announced its target of achieving climate-neutral production by 2030. The company refines fats and oils with a sustainable energy mix of CO2-neutral steam, waste heat and biodiesel. Its energy strategy is based on sustainable process steam from residual materials. Its partner companies GZM Extraktionswerk AG and Swiss Ecovalor AG give Nutriswiss access to a largely CO2-neutral energy mix with high supply security.

Ralston's farm monitors harvesting and packaging to ensure rice with eco-friendly, patented packaging to reduce plastic (Image credit: Ralston Family Farms).US-based Ralston Family Farms, a rice farming company, gained certification from Regenified, a third-party regenerative verification and supply chain solution company. The Arkansas-based farm focuses on improving soil health, enhancing biodiversity, water conservation and fostering ecosystem resiliency through regenerative practices. These include cover cropping, crop rotation and no-till planting. Regenerative agriculture goes beyond sustainability to regenerate the land for future generations through principles that bolster soil health and overall land quality.

Other highlights
dsm-firmenich’s World Mycotoxin Survey from January to June 2024 revealed ongoing mycotoxin risks in key regions, with Fusarium mycotoxins, deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and fumonisins the most frequently found. The highest regions of mycotoxins were observed in North and Central America, South Asia, South East Asia, China and Taiwan. The persistent presence of mycotoxins continues to pose a threat to animal welfare, productivity and sustainability in agriculture, underscoring the critical need for effective mycotoxin management, said Ursula Hofstetter, head of Mycotoxin Risk Management at dsm-firmenich.

By Insha Naureen