InFishMix – Combining Insects for a Novel Circular Strategy Towards Fish Growth and Robustness
Funding: The InFishMix project (PT-INNOVATION-0094) is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway through the EEA and Norway grants.
Description:
Through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA), Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are partners in the internal market with the Member States of the European Union.
As a way of promoting a continuous and balanced strengthening of economic and trade relations, the parties to the EEA Agreement established a multi-annual Financial Mechanism, known as the EEA Grants.
The EEA Grants aim to reduce social and economic disparities in Europe and strengthen bilateral relations between these three countries and the beneficiary countries.
For the 2014-2021 period, a total contribution of 2.8 billion euros has been agreed for 15 beneficiary countries. Portugal will receive 102.7 million euros. Find out more at eeagrants.gov.ptInFishMix will impact the aquaculture sustainable growth, through the development of a novel sustainable protein source, contributing to the growing demand for seafood, while supporting a competitive aquafeed industry.
With the large-scale demand for protein-based products, the production of proteins from fish, poultry, and livestock has become a challenge, which creates an opportunity for alternative protein sources, such as insects. Insect consumption has proven health benefits for farmed animals, making them a promising protein ingredient for feed.
We pretend to develop novel insect production methods, using agro-industry coproducts as substrates to maximize the protein production and create positive environmental impact. Protein mixes will be developed using the three insects produced, to target the needs of different fish species, Atlantic salmon and European seabass, and replace traditional protein sources in aquafeeds. The substrates, insects and fish will be evaluated, to ensure the highest quality and safety to the consumer.
The project’s innovative strategy will allow the optimization of the amino acid profile in the insect protein mix, to match the fish’s needs. In addition, it will contribute to optimize the insect production process, using the bioresources more efficiently at lower costs.
The industrial promoters, Thunder Foods and Ingredient Odyssey, will greatly benefit from the project’s implementation, leveraging their production capabilities and economic growth.
The project consortium has a complementary background, where ICBAS-UPORTO will contribute to the evaluation of novel fish feeds, towards food efficiency and robustness, and mitigation of the environmental effects of animal production, CiiEM research center will focus in the identification of the main microbiological and chemical risks along the entire value chain, and NORCE will provide research and innovation experts in aquaculture, environment, energy and technology.
Projeto financiado pela Islândia, Liechtenstein e Noruega, através dos EEA Grants.
Operador do Programa Promotor
