H2020 SUSINCHAIN Project: SUSTAINABLE INSECT CHAIN

Insects, as an alternative source of protein, could bridge the widening gap between the needs of a growing population and traditional methods of sustainable agriculture. In our quest to achieve a more closed production cycle by limiting waste and maximizing recycling, could insect-based food and feed be a missing link? SUSINCHAIN believes insects can play an important role in providing us with alternative sources of protein, and has found several evidence-based answers to many of the questions that have held back the sector.

The EU-supported project brought together industry, government, and academia to examine risk management strategies, develop processing technologies, analyze permitted substrates, and consider business models. Legal limits for contaminants in substrates for insect rearing “In the experimental part of the SUSINCHAIN project, we used legal limits for contaminants in common basic feeds to determine whether contaminants were transferred to farmed insects when they feed on what are called ‘substrates,’” explains Teun Veldkamp of Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands.

The project found that the accumulation, or even transfer, of toxins and pathogens, such as mycotoxins, was minimal. They propose that this means legal limits on substrates used for insect rearing could be higher. "Low-cost substrates should be used in the near future, when these substrates are proven to be safe. Our work helped establish this, and a switch to these lower-cost alternatives would make the chain much more sustainable and profitable. At the moment, substrates that meet the standards set for other foods, such as wheat, are expensive," adds Veldkamp. "The standards set for other agricultural products are unnecessarily high for insect foods.

Demonstrating that this is the case means we could open up cheaper 'feeds,' making the entire process more profitable and therefore attractive to companies." Safety first in insect farming Much of the research conducted by the project focused on optimizing existing processes. Several experiments were conducted on the nutritional quality and physical characteristics of the substrates, insect transport, and the management of insect diseases and pest species. A database of substrate pretreatments was built, and feeding experiments were conducted. "The work we've done on transport, diseases, and pest species will result in healthier insects and a safer breeding environment," says Veldkamp. In the case of large-scale insect farming, the project established the chemical composition and nutritional requirements of each insect species to identify knowledge gaps and conduct experiments to close loops and increase sustainability.

New standardized protocols were developed, ensuring comparability of results from academia and farmers. The project also worked with a bottom-up approach, exploring what insect producers were doing well and sharing best practices. Opening the Market for Insect Proteins It's not just about production processes; barriers to commercialization were also considered. "We know we can improve production efficiency and establish safety parameters, but if no one buys the product, then we have a real problem with the sustainability of the industry," Veldkamp acknowledges. With this in mind, the SUSINCHAIN project focused on identifying the technological, regulatory, cultural, and behavioral barriers to expanding the European insect value chain, along with strategies to overcome these barriers.

This is part of a series of works being carried out by the EU to increase the uptake of insect protein. Desk research was conducted, followed by a series of in-depth interviews and workshops with various stakeholder groups, to determine production bottlenecks and public perception. This was carried out alongside the establishment of two living laboratories, involving insect farmers, to observe in real time what works and what doesn't. Scaling up the insect protein sector in Europe Veldkamp is proud to say that: "The SUSINCHAIN project has contributed important building blocks to further expand the insect sector in Europe." But he believes that the work being done to make the most of this protein source is being undermined by a shift in focus. "European insect-related research has become more fragmented, and insects are being incorporated as one of multiple protein sources in projects on sustainable food and feed." In his view, for an approach to be truly effective, the way forward is to have projects that focus exclusively on the main barriers to the absorption of insect-derived products.