Lab grown insects….

While alt meat (plant based and lab grown) is set to rise to anywhere from 10-30% of meat consumption for the planet’s human population in the next decade – the driver is a more health conscious consumers cutting down on red meat….and not necessarily a full move to vegetarianism.

Farmed shrimp will continue to grow as a more efficiently grown healthy option in that space.

Alternative animal protein culture – as in lab based – has also shown promise in the insect space…

I’m Ok with insect development. No, I am an active supporter.

So very happy to see the new Bioflytech project develop.

Also glad to see Santos took advice and got business expertise that understood to target carnivorous fish and not omnivorous shrimp as the initial target off take market for industrial level trials.

Advice included that one must not forget insects are descendants of shrimp – closest to marine insects we have, and insects eating insects seems a negative going forward in markets. Another culture to feed a culture.

Current shrimp industry push is towards fishmeal replacement yes but using similar raw materials that can be used to grow land based insects. After all shrimp, like insects, are efficient protein converters with low conversion rates.

Shrimp industry, with vannamei, should be able to tap into same raw materials as needed to grow insects so not sure advantages/benefits of insect meal in diet?

Furthermore current shrimp industry direction is a towards vegetarian raised shrimp via plant/algal/bacterial land based options.

So for all those going for insects and looking at aquaculture for your markets then best stay away from competing with current shrimp feed raw materials unless you have a special angle you think can deliver a benefit.

That said plenty potential for insects in fish, especially Africa, just look at Agriprotein ZFIFO and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Small niggle with Bioflytech is the bio-availability statement on the website. It is common for insect companies looking through the fish focus but we are seeing max figures of 10% inclusion in commodity grown shrimp before it becomes an inhibitor – so 83-86% is high for shrimp. That said 100% could be “available” – so what does bio-availability really mean? No explanation on website.

The picture of the prawn below is not of the pacific p. vannamei (wrong rostra and thorax too big relative to body) – perhaps p. setiferus? Have other shrimp been looked at by the feed research guys?