Tyson Foods announced it has agreed to a two-fold investment in global insect ingredients company Protix, out of the Netherlands. The investment, Tyson says, will support the growth of the emerging insect ingredient industry and expand the use of those solutions to create more sustainable supply of proteins and lipids for the global food system, according to a release from the company.
A direct-equity investment will give Tyson a minority stake in Protix, while a joint venture between the companies will allow for the operation and construction of an insect ingredient facility in the continental U.S.
Once built, it will be the first at-scale facility of its kind to upcycle food manufacturing byproducts into high-quality insect proteins and lipids. The U.S. facility is expected to house an enclosed system that will breed, incubate and hatch insect larvae, which will act as ingredients for the pet food, aquaculture and livestock industries.
Protix produces and processes 14,000 metric tons LLE annually at its Netherlands facility, which has been in operation since 2019.
