SUSINCHAIN · Project

Insect Protein Supply Chain Ready for Feed and Food Markets in Europe

foodPilotedTRL 6

Imagine turning food waste — leftover grain, vegetable scraps, brewery residues — into high-quality protein using insects as tiny biological factories. That's what this project made real at industrial scale. A massive 36-partner team across 14 countries built the equipment, safety guidelines, and business models to make insect protein a genuine alternative to soy and fishmeal in animal feed, and even in food products you'd eat yourself. They got it past the lab stage and into pilot production lines, proving it works technically, economically, and safely.

By the numbers

9.1 billion

Global population by 2050 driving protein demand

60%

Required increase in world food production

10%

Target replacement of animal protein by insect protein in animal feed

20%

Target replacement of animal protein by insect protein in human diets

1000x

Target increase in production volumes and jobs by 2025

Partners in the consortium

Countries represented

Total project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Europe imports massive amounts of soy and fishmeal for animal feed and faces a looming protein gap as global population heads toward 9.1 billion by 2050. Food production needs to grow by 60%, but conventional protein sources are environmentally unsustainable and price-volatile. Insects can efficiently convert food industry side-streams into high-quality protein, but the European insect sector has been stuck at small scale due to high processing costs, safety concerns, and regulatory uncertainty.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered two working prototypes — a Radio Frequency dryer specialized for insect drying and a LEEB unit for insect decontamination — both at TRL 6 or higher with full technical reports. It also produced guidelines for safe insect production, business plans with exploitation strategies, and a knowledge management plan across 44 total deliverables.

Audience

Who needs this

Animal feed manufacturers looking to replace soy/fishmeal with sustainable alternativesInsect farming companies scaling from pilot to industrial productionFood manufacturers developing insect-based protein productsWaste management companies interested in bioconversion of organic side-streamsPet food producers seeking alternative protein ingredients

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Animal Feed Manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Feed mills and compound feed producers looking for sustainable protein alternatives to soy and fishmeal

If you are a feed manufacturer dealing with volatile soy and fishmeal prices and growing pressure to reduce imported protein dependency — this project developed tested insect-based feed ingredients and processing technologies targeting 10% replacement of animal protein in feed. The consortium produced guidelines for safe insect production and business plans for commercial exploitation, giving you a validated roadmap to integrate insect meal into your feed formulations.

Insect Farming & Bioconversion

SME

Target: Insect rearing companies and startups scaling up production

If you are an insect farming company struggling with high production costs, inconsistent drying quality, or contamination risks — this project built a prototype Radio Frequency dryer specialized for insect drying and a prototype LEEB unit for insect decontamination. These technologies were tested at TRL 6 or higher, directly addressing the two biggest bottlenecks in scaling insect production from pilot to industrial volumes.

Food Processing & Alternative Proteins

any

Target: Food manufacturers developing alternative protein products for human consumption

If you are a food company exploring insect-based ingredients for protein-enriched products but worried about safety regulations and consumer acceptance — this project produced guidelines for good practices for safe insect production and tested insect protein applications in regular human diets. With 18 industry partners validating the results, you get a proven pathway toward the project's target of 20% insect protein replacement in human diets.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does insect protein cost compared to conventional protein sources?

The project explicitly aimed to decrease the cost price of insect products through more efficient processing and scaled production. Specific cost figures are not published in the available data, but the prototype RF dryer and LEEB decontamination unit were designed to reduce processing costs — two of the most expensive steps in insect production.

Can this scale to industrial production volumes?

Yes — the project targeted TRL 6 or higher, meaning technologies were demonstrated in relevant environments. The objective states a target of a thousand-fold increase in production volumes. With 18 industry partners and 9 SMEs already in the consortium, the path from pilot to full-scale production has been mapped with real industry input.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

The project produced a dedicated 'Business plans and exploitation strategy' deliverable covering commercialization routes. With 36 partners across 14 countries, IP arrangements would be governed by the consortium agreement. Companies interested in licensing specific technologies like the RF dryer or LEEB unit should contact the coordinator at Wageningen Research.

Is insect protein legally approved for feed and food in Europe?

The EU has been progressively approving insect species for feed and food use. This project produced 'Guidelines for good practices for safe insect production' specifically to help companies meet regulatory requirements. The consortium included partners from 14 EU/associated countries, ensuring regulatory considerations across major European markets were addressed.

How long before we could integrate this into our production?

The project ran from 2019 to 2023 and is now closed, meaning results are available for uptake. Prototype equipment (RF dryer, LEEB unit) reached TRL 6 or higher during the project. Companies with existing food or feed processing infrastructure could begin integration discussions now, using the project's business plans and exploitation strategy as a starting point.

Does this work with our existing feed or food processing lines?

The project focused on testing and piloting technologies that fit into existing value chains rather than requiring entirely new infrastructure. The RF dryer and LEEB decontamination unit were designed as specialized additions to processing lines. The 44 deliverables include technical reports accompanying both prototypes with integration details.

Consortium

Who built it

This is one of the largest insect protein consortiums in Europe with 36 partners across 14 countries. The 50% industry ratio (18 industry partners including 9 SMEs) signals strong commercial intent — this wasn't just academics writing papers. Wageningen Research, one of the world's top agricultural research institutions, coordinated the effort. The mix of 11 universities and 7 research organizations providing scientific backbone, combined with feed companies, insect farms, and food processors actually testing the results, makes this consortium unusually well-positioned to move technology from lab to market. The geographic spread across major European markets (DE, FR, IT, ES, NL, and others) also means regulatory and market access knowledge is built into the partnership.

STICHTING WAGENINGEN RESEARCHCoordinator · NL
FORFARMERS CORPORATE SERVICES BVparticipant · NL
HAVFORSKNINGSINSTITUTTETparticipant · NO
MEDIZINISCHE UNIVERSITAET WIENparticipant · AT
BIOFLYTECH SLparticipant · ES
YNSECT NL R & D BVparticipant · NL
INAGRO, PROVINCIAAL EXTERN VERZELFSTANDIGD AGENTSCHAP IN PRIVAATRECHTELIJKE VORM VZWparticipant · BE
SOCIEDADE PORTUGUESA DE INOVACAO CONSULTADORIA EMPRESARIAL E FOMENTO DA INOVACAO SAparticipant · PT
HELLENIC CENTRE FOR MARINE RESEARCHparticipant · EL
KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK
DIL DEUTSCHES INSTITUT FUR LEBENSMITTELTECHNIK EVparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TORINOparticipant · IT
UNIVERSIDADE CATOLICA PORTUGUESAparticipant · PT
CIVIC CONSULTING GMBHparticipant · DE
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT BERLINparticipant · DE
DSM Nutritional Products Ltdparticipant · CH
EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICHparticipant · CH
DANMARKS TEKNISKE UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK
UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTOthirdparty · PT
NUTRITION SCIENCESparticipant · BE
WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITYparticipant · NL
DYMOTECparticipant · BE
ACONDICIONAMIENTO TARRASENSE ASSOCIACIONparticipant · ES
UNIVERSITA POLITECNICA DELLE MARCHEparticipant · IT
INSTITUT NATIONAL DE RECHERCHE POUR L'AGRICULTURE, L'ALIMENTATION ET L'ENVIRONNEMENTparticipant · FR
SENSE TEST, SOCIEDADE DE ESTUDOS DE ANALISE SENSORIAL A PRODUTOS ALIMENTARES, LDAparticipant · PT
KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVENparticipant · BE
MEAM HOLDINGparticipant · BE

How to reach the team

Wageningen Research (Netherlands) coordinated this 36-partner consortium. Use SciTransfer's matchmaking service for a warm introduction to the right team members.

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Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how SUSINCHAIN's insect protein technologies could fit your feed or food business? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the research team and help you evaluate the commercial opportunity. Contact us for a tailored briefing.

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