US-based food company Tyson Foods has entered into an agreement for a twofold investment with Dutch insect ingredient company Protix.
Tyson Foods will acquire a minority stake in Protix to help fund its global expansion through a direct-equity investment.
The investment will support the growth of the insect ingredient industry and expand the use of insect ingredient solutions to create more efficient, sustainable proteins and lipids for use in the global food system, Tyson Foods noted.
Tyson Foods and Protix will also set up a joint venture for the operation and construction of an insect ingredient facility in the continental United States.
The facility will upcycle food-manufacturing by-products into insect proteins and lipids for the pet food, aquaculture and livestock industries.
Insect Ingredient Facility
The planned insect ingredient facility will house an enclosed system to support all aspects of insect protein production, including the breeding, incubating and hatching of insect larvae.
In addition to ingredients for the aquaculture and pet food industries, processed larvae will find use as ingredients within the livestock and plant feed segments.
“Our partnership with Protix represents the latest strategic investment by Tyson Foods in groundbreaking solutions that drive added value to Tyson Foods’ business,” said John R. Tyson, chief financial officer of Tyson Foods.
“The insect life cycle provides the opportunity for full circularity within our value chain, strengthening our commitment to building a more sustainable food system for the future.”
Protix
Protix produces and processes 14,000 metric tonnes of ingredients through liquid-to-liquid extraction (LLE) annually at its facility in the Netherlands, which has been in operation since 2019.
Its clients include major global companies in the pet food, aquaculture feed, livestock feed and organic fertiliser industries.
Kees Aarts, CEO of Protix, stated, “We are very excited to announce the next step in our international growth strategy. Tyson Foods’ and Protix’s strategic partnership advances our joint work towards creating high-quality, more sustainable protein using innovative technology and solutions.
“Moreover, we can immediately use their existing by-products as feedstock for our insects. This agreement is a major milestone for Protix and significantly accelerates our ambition to grow through international partnerships.”
