![]() “If a food tech entrepreneur today wants to create a new protein bar or supplement based on insect protein, they need to invest a lot of time and money to build their own breeding facility,” explains Gilad. There is also the potential to, eventually, to sell to manufacturers making insect food products for humans, given the challenge highlighted by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of increasing food production by 70 % by 2050 to cope with a world population expected to exceed 9.7 billion. With favourable legislation, it could grow to around 5 million tonnes a year.įreezeM’s research identified a market for its product in the waste management industry since Black Soldier Fly larvae have bioconversion abilities. By 2030, the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed believes it could reach about 3 million tonnes. More than 6,000 tonnes of insect protein are produced in Europe annually. They found clear interest in their ready-to-use eggs and neonate larvae in the animal feed industry and believe insect protein could soon replace fishmeal, reducing overfishing. “We conducted in-depth analyses of the initial target markets to realistically evaluate the market size, growth, competitors, clients and partners,” says Gilad. Gilad, a 37-year-old WIS graduate, developed FreezeM’s patent-pending method three years ago with fellow WIS graduates Yoav Politi, 37, and Idan Alyagor, 35, all specialists in molecular genetics and developmental biology.ĭuring the EU project, they interviewed experts and potential customers to validate their method, reaching a proof-of-concept stage and carrying out a small pilot on a selection of potential customers. This lowers entry barriers for new players in the market, while reducing operational costs and capital investment in new facilities,” explains Gilad. “FreezeM's technology solves those bottlenecks since it makes the breeding and eggs production part more stable, and accessible to everyone. “The major bottlenecks the market faces are price, scale-up and consistency in production,” says Yuval Gilad, CEO and co-founder at FreezeM, an Israeli spin-off from the Weizmann Institute of Science (WIS). The EU supported FreezeM project, though, has piloted a way to freeze Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) eggs, allowing them to be delivered all year round to an emerging industry. ![]() But that requires mass production of insects at levels not yet achieved. Insects could be a good, sustainable alternative to cereals and fishmeal since many animals eat insects naturally and they are high in protein. As demand for animal products rises, animal feed production is competing for scarce resources with human food and fuel production. Feeding the world’s fish, poultry and cattle is a growing challenge. ![]()
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