"Another big step for the insect industry," says Protix, who is supplying insect-derived feed ingredients for Label Rouge-certified salmon in Scotland.
Photo: Protix.
There's good news for the alternative feed ingredients sector this week, as insect-derived feed ingredients are now approved for use in Scotland's "Label Rouge" certified salmon.
The prestigious French Label Rouge certification, which accounts for 12% of Scotland's salmon exports, includes stringent specifications for feed that limit the types and amounts of ingredients that farmers can use across the lifecycle of the salmon.
Now Label Rouge permits insect ingredients in the diets of juvenile (freshwater) salmon - a decision hailed as a "an exciting moment for novel ingredients in the Scottish sector" by Scottish Quality Salmon (SQS), which manages the Label Rouge certification in Scotland.
The initiative results from a collaboration between French certification body INAO, SQS, salmon breeding company Landcatch and leading insect ingredient producer Protix.
“The approval of insect ingredients in one of the world’s most stringent quality labels marks another big step for the insect industry," said Protix's Business Development Manager, Michel van Spankeren in a press release.
"We aim to serve up the most sustainable salmon on consumers’ plates, and know that we can only do this in collaboration with forward-thinking partners. Seeing this coming to life is fantastic," he added.
With feed representing up to 80% of the carbon impact of the salmon sector, alternative ingredients such as insects show significant potential in mitigating the carbon footprint of the aquaculture industry.
Insect meals have been shown to have a carbon impact nearly 89% lower than traditional soy protein alternatives, which Protix says makes them a more sustainable choice that closely mirrors the natural diet of salmon.
Protix also pointed out that the development was particularly significant given the adoption of a "larger smolt" strategy amongst many key industry players, where juvenile salmon spend longer in freshwater facilities before being put into the sea - thus increasing the time farmers can make use of insect-derived feed under the Label Rouge rules.
