UZWIL, SWITZERLAND – Bühler has taken another step in its ability to produce and process insects with a unique larval storage system that decouples insect rearing from processing and offers flexibility in the operating plan.
Last year, after four years of close cooperation with one of its partners, Protix, Bühler reached the most important milestone when the fully automated industrial processing facility for black soldier flies in Bergen Op Zoom in North Brabant, the Netherlands, reached its full processing capacity. This is proof of the insect industry and the successful conclusion of the joint venture between Bühler and Protix.
“We congratulate Kees Aarts and his team at Protix on the exceptional performance of their insect protein facility,” said Ian Roberts, Chief Technology Officer at Bühler. “Being the pioneer in an industry is a challenging task, and being the first to deliver an economically viable, large-scale insect plant is an important step on their ambitious journey. We sincerely thank Kees and his team for this collaboration. “
Insect-based ingredients can offer a new category of nutrition for the food system, but require a comprehensive ecosystem approach with multiple parties working together, said Kees Aarts, CEO and founder of Protix.
“At Protix, we are working with multiple parties to drive the emergence of sustainable diets that enable a food system in balance with nature,” he said. “The collaboration with Bühler is a good example of this. We will continue to support the growth of the industry and are convinced that further collaborations are necessary in order to achieve important milestones on our way. “
Bühler offers technology solutions for the growth and processing of insects to enable the conversion of organic residues into high-quality insect-based ingredients on an industrial scale.
