Research project
InSAFE: Securing the Future of the UK's Insect Farming Industry
- Start date: September 2023
- End date: August 2025
- Funder: Innovate UK and BBSRC
- Primary investigator: Dr Katie McDermott
- Co-investigators: Dr Gesa Reiss
- External co-investigators: Entocycle Ltd
Project title
InSAFE: Securing the Future of the UK's Insect Farming Industry
Description
The UN predicts that by 2025, the world will have a 60 million tonne deficit of protein to feed animals and humans.
75% of global soy production is used as protein in animal feed, but its production is fuelling both deforestation in critical ecosystems and the climate crisis.
Insect farming provides a low-carbon protein alternative to soy and other feed ingredients by using less land area, less water, and fewer fossil fuel-based materials per kg of protein produced.
The UK insect farming industry is currently constrained by strict legislation on the use of insect protein in animal feed and a lack of protocols and standards for insect-rearing facilities.
Project overview
The InSAFE project will help us accelerate our efforts to address some of these barriers facing the industry, in particular those related to food safety.
The research will analyse the bacterial microbiome, pathogen loads, presence of AMR genes, and heavy metal content of permissive and non-permissive feedstocks before and after insect bioconversion, alongside analysis of the BSF larvae and by-products such as frass.
Samples will be collected from a new, state-of-the-art insect-rearing demonstrator facility (Entoexplore), developed and installed by the UK’s leading insect technology company Entocycle, in addition to Entocycle's R&D facility in London for permissive feedstocks, including segregated food waste.
Inside Entoexplore
Supporting UK net zero targets
Watch the video below to discover how Drs. Gesa Reiss and Katie McDermott are using the world-class facilities on the university research farm, such as Entoexplore, to better understand how a farm can work towards becoming net zero.
In the news
Events
Over 40 stakeholders from industry and academia met at the National Pig Centre on Wednesday 3rd July 2024 to learn more about the new insect facility.
In addition to a series of presentations, delegates were also given a walk-in tour of the unit to discover how its innovative mechanisms work.
Dr Gesa Reiss presents at the insect facility launch
Event delegates look at trays of black solider fly and feedstock inside the unit