Brief: EU greenlights insect-derived protein in pig & poultry feed

• The EU has authorized processed animal proteins (PAPs) derived from insects for use in feed products for pigs and poultry.
• Prior to today’s entry-into-force of Commission Regulation (EU) 2021/1372, which was published last month, insect PAPs could only legally be used in the EU for feed in aquaculture, as well as for pets and other “non-food producing animals.”
• “Insects can play a major role in moving towards a circular food system, since they are able to transform waste streams into high-quality animal feed,” said Jan Huitema, member of the European Parliament. “However, European legislation did not allow the use of insect proteins to the full extent […] This way, Europe will become less dependent on feed imports, and the environmental impact of livestock production will be lowered.”

Why it matters:

According to the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF), the authorization opens “two of the most relevant EU animal feed markets, which represent circa 65% of the EU’s compound feed production” to the burgeoning insect protein industry.

Insect ranches, vertical ag among 2020’s top-funded ‘Novel Farming Systems’ companies – see AFN’s Data Snapshot here

The IPIFF further described the PAPs regulation as “an instrumental step in upscaling the European insect sector” which will help the EU meet its ‘Farm to Fork’ food resilience and sustainability goals by promoting circularity, localization, and self-sufficiency in the region’s livestock farming industry.