Protenga exec talks insect-based protein following investment boost

09 Jan 2023 --- Following a successful round of funding, Singapore-based start-up Protenga will receive additional investment in its insect protein technology platform from Yield Lab Asia Pacific, Seeds Capital and JBI Innovations. Protenga’s CEO and founder, Leo Wein, speaks with FoodIngredientsFirst about the investments and the potential of insect protein as feed, pet food, fertilizer, and possibly beyond, going into the food arena. 

“We have built a deep expertise on the techno-functional aspects of insect-based pet food formulation and production in the last year,” says Wein.

“We are looking to position ourselves as the preferred supplier and knowledge partner of choice for key brands in the insect-based pet food space as well as distributors and own brands looking to launch new, hypoallergenic and sustainable product lines.”

Wein hints at expansion beyond Protenga’s entry into the pet food space.

“We have developed an expertise around transforming our farmed insects into clean protein and pet food applications and formulations,” he outlines. 

“The pet food space has become the nexus between human consumption and animal feed, so it’s getting us in that direction. We have something up our sleeve that we might be able to talk about as early as 2024.”

Leo Wein, founder and CEO of Protenga, is excited about the future of insect farming.Turning waste into feed
Protenga’s circular ecosystem platform leverages food waste as feed for insects, which are converted into protein, oil and frass products. These, in turn, are used in feed and fertilizer products for agriculture, aquaculture and pet food.

As it is neither a pest nor a vector, but nutritionally rich and balanced, Protenga’s proprietary insect protein focuses on the black soldier fly, which it uses in pet food applications such as YumGrubs in its wet dog food portfolio.

Protenga’s Smart Insect Farm technology implements the bioconversion process. These modular farms recapture nutrients from organic waste and use tailored AI and IOT-enabled processes to enable a continuous bioconversion environment.

Wein explains the two most common insect processing routes in the industry.

“They both involve separating the insect larvae from the frass, cleaning the insects, a kill step, then drying and sterilizing the insect material followed by mechanical oil extraction and finally milling into a powder before the product is bagged,” he explains. 

“In one process variant, oil is extracted before drying. In another variant, after drying. No chemicals are used in the process, resulting in a natural and pure insect protein meal.”

Moreover, investment from The Yield Lab will open the door for Protenga to expand its influence within the Asian market, notes Wein.

“The Yield Lab has a fantastic Asia Pacific and Global reputation and presence and the expertise to back it. We are strongly aligned with their mission to sustainably revolutionize agri-food systems thanks to our scalable renewal nutrition production platform,” says Wein.

Based on hitting several milestones in 2022, Protenga is looking to expand and further develop its technology platforms.

“Our key development objective for 2023 is the successful deployment of our second-generation Smart Insect Farm,” adds Wein.

Palm oil byproducts can be upcycled as part of the process.Palm waste integration
Notably, Protenga utilizes palm industry byproducts as supplementary feed for insects. Wein explains how.

“In the palm oil milling process, solid fractions are separated from the oils, which can be dry or wet. We can upcycle and valorize wet and dry factions efficiently with our Smart Insect Farms,” he underscores.

“Upcycling them through our technology maximizes the value capture of this byproduct both economically and for the food system, producing high-quality protein, oil, and fertilizer while producing less GHG emissions.”

For Claire Pribula, managing director of The Yield Lab Asia Pacific, this was a big investment draw.

“Protenga’s vertical integration, technology and production platform, as well as its circular solution, which utilizes palm waste to supplement the insect protein’s highly nutritious food source, provides a sustainable solution relevant to this Asia Pacific region,” she outlines. 

“The finished product benefits the global pet food and aquaculture industries.”

Wein summarizes Protenga’s system of impact benefits.

“Smart Insect Farms enable the circular and local valorization of available biomass, keep a valuable source of soil fertility in the country (instead of being exported) and contribute to high-quality and high-grade primary protein production from insects.” 

“They also reduce direct and secondary environmental impacts which the byproducts of palm oil can have in their current uses (or non-uses),” he concludes.

In related news, the UK recently agreed to open up the market for products containing insect protein in a transitional measure after being lobbied by insect protein advocates Woven. The agreement kept pace with another round of approvals from EU regulatory bodies to allow mealworms and crickets for human consumption.

In September 2022, Malaysia-based Nutrition Technologies, manufacturer of animal feed ingredients and biofertilizers, ended its equity venture round with US$20 million investment.  Also, in a new study, scientists at West Virginia University have determined nutritional and functional properties of protein in cricket, locust and silkworm pupae insect powders.

Means of combating unsustainable palm oil production continue with various alt-palm products either in research or entering the market, while conventional palm oil reels from new EU import restrictions. 

By James Davies

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