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The project was officially launched during the kick-off meeting in Wageningen, Netherlands.
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SUStainable INsect CHAIN (SUSINCHAIN) aims to contribute to novel protein provision for feed and food in Europe by overcoming the remaining barriers for increasing the economic viability of the insect value chain and opening markets by combining forces in a comprehensive multi-actor consortium. The project is funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme and has started from the 1st of October of 2019. It has a duration of 48 months, and a budget of 8.5M€ and led by Stichting Wageningen Research.
SUSINCHAIN wants to overcome the barriers for increasing the economic viability of the insect value chain and opening markets by combining forces in a comprehensive multi-actor consortium. More information, read here.
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Kick-off meeting of SUSINCHAIN
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Dr. Teun Veldkamp, the Coordinator of SUSINCHAIN led the kick-off meeting
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Activities on Market Opportunities and Barriers Including Consumer Acceptance
Two living labs to collect practical insights from the ground in order to develop a set of best-practices for the insect industry have been set up by NGN. Those are:
- Living Lab 1 - Cost effective and safe insect rearing (insect rearers)
- Living Lab 2 - Cost effective and safe value chain development (other value chain stakeholders such as input suppliers, tech suppliers, logistics)
- Please visit here to register your interest.
A survey for the rearing stage and supply chain stages are currently being held. Please contact Mr. Frank Alleweldt if you are interested to take part of the survey.
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Activities on Upscaling Rearing Insects
Validation of nutritional needs and preferred physical properties of feed substrates were held, additional validation on nutritional review of BSF and cricket will follow
List of pre-treatments of the ingredients and/or the mixture for four insect species (BSF, HF, MW and HC) and optimization goal was determined.
The analysis of the economic valuation of insect rearing by-products is on progress.
The actions to minimise effects of main pests and diseases in insect production systems are being consulted and analysed.
Lab scale demonstration of transport and storage possibilities of insect eggs, small larvae and pupae on all four insect species are being organized and closely monitored.
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Activities on Insect Processing
Optimisation of Controlled Atmosphere Packaging (CAP) and Storage (CAS) conditions for storage and transport of living BSF larvae is to be started.
Optimisation and validation of industrial microwave (MICRO) and radio frequency (RF) drying of killed insects is already started:
- Microwave drying of a batch of 500 kg BSF on the first dryer (MEAM Explorer) is on-going, the batch will be further processed into BSF meal to be used in the animal trials;
- Design of RF dryer is on-going.
Optimisation and validation of large-scale Low Energy E-Beam (LEEB) drying for whole insects is on-going:
- LEEB treatment on BSF is currently performed;
- Experimental design of shelf life assessment is being set up;
- Other insect species will follow.
High Moisture Extrusion of mixtures of mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) and soy concentrate is being executed and the final products, the extrudates are being analysed for textural, chemical and microbiological quality.
Optimisation of tricanter centrifugation of BSF is on-going.
Microwave drying of black soldier fly larve
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Activities on Insects in Animal Feed
Digestibility testing of insect meals for fish, poultry and pigs are on-going:
- In vivo digestibility of 4 BSF batches (produced within one year to determine variability in chemical composition/digestibility) will be conducted in broilers, rainbow trout and sea bass;
- In vitro digestibility of 4 BSF batches (produced within one year to determine variability in chemical composition/digestibility) will be conducted in salmon & piglets;
- In vivo digestibility of 3 BSF meals produced within WP3 using different methods of production (rainbow trout, salmon and sea bass, broilers and piglets).
Protocol for animal trials for digestibility assessment of protein insect meals is created.
Approval by national ethical authorities for starting the animal trials has achieved.
Large scale trials to be conducted in the future.
Rainbow trout digestibility trial
Seabass digestibility trial
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Activities on Decision Support System for Sustainable Insect Value Chains
Identification and selection of relevant agents of supply chains (identification of key triggers for the development on insect supply chains) are on-going:
- Active actors of insect value chains are defined and potential data is gathered.
- Databases are being completed with proxy data from feed and food industry for interpolation.
Probability-based material flows modelling is being developed.
Daniela Peguero, PhD candidate at D-HEST ETH Zurich is working with Extruder for the data collection and resource consumption measurements
Daniela Peguero with the insects
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Activities on Safety along the Insect Value Chain
For the microbial and chemical safety of insect frass, preliminary trials are being discussed with partners for pathogens.
For microbiological safety, the processing of insects is started with the first samples for microbiological tests are being delivered early July (high moisture extrusion samples).
An extensive systematic review regarding the relationship between insects and mycotoxins over the past 50 years is almost complete. This review encompasses information regarding how ingesting a substrate contaminated with mycotoxins can affect insect mortality and development. Additionally, this review covers the possible accumulation of mycotoxins within insects and analyzes past research concerning the conversion of mycotoxins including metabolic pathways of detoxification and bioactivation. Thus, leading to pilots in the lab concerning Hermetia Illucens and AFB1.
Currently, Amelia Meyer a PhD candidate from Wageningen Food Safety Research is becoming acquainted with the intricacies of LC-MS regarding analyses of substrates, larvae, and residues along with preparation of S9 extracts. In order to perform her first experiments regarding novel information of the conversion of AFB1 within Hermetia Illucens. Above is her analyzing polenta as a possible substrate for any mycotoxins present including DON, AFB1, ZEN, and OTA along with their metabolites.
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Activities on Insects as Food
Six prototype insect-based food products were presented during the workshop on Setting Quality Criteria for Insect-Based Food Products was held in DTU Skylab Copenhagen on January 2020.
The six prototypes are:
- Tenebrio mealworm minced meat (developed by KU Leuven)
- Cricket and mealworm flatbread (developed by Università Politecnica delle Marche - UNIVPM)
- Buffaloworm burgers (developed by NGN)
- Plantbased sausage with mealworm (developed by Leitat)
- Cricket-tomato umami paste (developed by Bugging Denmark)
- Chickpea-cricket spiced flour (developed by DTU Skylab)
The consumer tests are planned to be held in Portugal by Sense Test in September.
Cricket and mealworm flatbread by UNIVPM
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Activities on Exploitation, Communication and Dissemination
SUSINCHAIN develops stakeholder platform for discussion and forum between the project partners and project stakeholders (consumers, farmers, representatives from industry, academia and civil society organisations).
The stakeholder platform is restricted to invitation only; if you want to join the platform, please contact us.
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SUSINCHAIN in Antena1 – RTP Portugal
SUSINCHAIN project was broadcasted in the Antenna1 – RTP Radio channel in Portugal during the “90 Segundos de Ciencia” (90 seconds of Science) programme. The project was introduced by Sense Test Portugal, one of SUSINCHAIN´s project partner. The recording (in Portuguese) can be accessed here.
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SUSINCHAIN in DR TV Denmark
SUSINCHAIN´s concept of insect protein was also featured in Season 1 Episode 3 of “Keld og Hilda tester fremtiden” (Keld and Hilda test the future). The program was shown on the main station for Denmark´s National TV and Radio (DR1). They presented the insect mini-farm that belongs to Bugging Denmark, one of SUSINCHAIN´s partner, in the beginning and cooked the prototype towards the end of the program. The reception is really good, even though they were skeptical in the beginning. The video can be accessed here.
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SUSINCHAIN on Horizon – The EU Research and Innovation Magazine
SUSINCHAIN is featured in an article on the Horizon, The EU Research and Innovation Magazine titled “Insects could help increase Europe’s food self-sufficiency but will they catch on?”. The article talked about the project focusing on boosting the quantity of insects produced in Europe by improving technologies and developing new techniques. The link for the article can be found here.
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SUSINCHAIN IN RTV Belgium
SUSINCHAIN featured in the Belgium regional television – RTV, on 7 November 2019, which showed the concept of insect protein and processing. Further information can be accessed here.
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SUSINCHAIN featured on EU CORDIS news
SUSINCHAIN is feautured on the CORDIS news article titled: “The Susinchain project studies insects as a new qualitative source of protein to open itself to new markets for feed and human diets”. The article is written by one of SUSINCHAIN´s project partner, Leitat. Read here for the full article.
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- In addition to the ‘general food hygiene requirements’, the production and marketing of insects as food in Europe is governed by the so-called ‘Novel Foods’ legislation. Read more on IPIFF´s EU Novel Food Legislation.
- ValuSect (“Valuable Insects”) is a new project designed to strengthen the development of insect-based food products promises to propel investment in this burgeoning yet dynamic space. Interested companies can receive a voucher worth up to €40,000 in services delivered by the project partners to develop products, conduct consumer taste panels, optimize breeding conditions and improve insect food processing. Read more.
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Past
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SUSINCHAIN Workshop on Setting Quality Criteria for Insect-Based Food Products was held in DTU Skylab Copenhagen
A three-day SUSINCHAIN workshop with the focus on setting quality criteria for insect-based food products (under Work Package 5 - Insects as Food) was held in DTU Skylab, Copenhagen on the 22 - 24 January 2020. The key outcome of the workshop will be a set of specifications defining quality criteria for taste, texture, appearance, packaging, labelling, nutritional properties and food safety. Read more about the workshop here.
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SUSINCHAIN at The International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF) workshop in Brussels
On 3rd December 2019, SUSINCHAIN presented at The International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF) workshop in Brussels, Belgium. At this event in Brussels, SUSINCHAIN exemplified with the involvement of 18 prominent end users from multiple European countries. Read more here.
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Upcoming
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A one-day SUSINCHAIN workshop with the aim to discuss the most relevant supply-side barriers to large-scale commercialisation of insect proteins in Europe and its potential solutions is planned to be held on October 7th. Please contact Mr. Frank Alleweldt if you are interested to be part of the workshop.
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SUSINCHAIN Partners
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Call for Supporting Organisations
Please contact Ms. Martha Octavia if your organisation wants to be featured at SUSINCHAIN´s Supporting Organisation webpage.
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• Latest updates about the development of sustainable food chain.
• Research updates of sustainable source for protein.
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SUSINCHAIN received funding from the European Union’s H2020 programme under the grant agreement 861976.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
Copyright © 2020 SUSINCHAIN. All rights reserved.
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