Insects as food consumers will buy · 2018-03-13 · Assessment of the human nutritional value of...
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Transcript of Insects as food consumers will buy · 2018-03-13 · Assessment of the human nutritional value of...
Insects as food – developing products consumers will buyLars-Henrik Heckmann, Technology Manager, PhD
Amsterdam 7-9 March 2018
Insects with an industrial potential as food
Beetles
▪ Lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus)
▪ Common mealworm (Tenebrio molitor)
▪ Giant mealworm (Zophobas morio)
Crickets
▪ House cricket (Acheta domesticus)
▪ Banded cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus)
???
Protein: 50-60%Fat: 10-30%DM: 30-40%
Protein: 60-70%Fat: 10-20%DM: 25-35%
Generic production process
Climate and resource efficient food production
▪ Low use of water (>100-1000x) compared to other animal livestock production
▪ Currently, ~5 times better feed conversion efficiencycompared to cattle
▪ Low requirements for production area (1/10 used for production of equivalent quantity of protein from cattle)
▪ Very low emission (>100x) of greenhouse gasesand ammonia compared to production with pigs and cattle
(Some) advantages of insect products...
▪ Sustainable food source
▪ Nutritious (high protein content, fatty acids, minerals and vitamins)
▪ Animal-based protein (source of essential amino acids)
▪ Animal welfare
▪ Low risk regarding zoonotic diseases
European insectindustry
Main challenges of the insect industry
▪ Upscaling (industrial level)
▪ Insect biology in production environment
▪ Development of (customized) automation
▪ Development of species-specific feed
▪ Legal barriers (EU) in feed and food
▪ Increasing the knowledge-level on feed/food safety of insects
▪ Political priority to promote the use of insects as feed and food
▪ Consumer acceptance
▪ Information...
Insect-based food products have a hugepotential… but how to capatilize?
▪ Currently, the global food market for insect-based products is growing >40% annually with an estimated value of more than 400M EUR/year in 2023 (e.g. Global Market Insights)
▪ Several European consumer studies indicate that millions of consumers are willing and ready to eat insect-based products
▪ Snacks - whole (roasted)
▪ Bars (energy and protein bars)
▪ Confectionery
▪ Granola
▪ Pasta
▪ Bread
▪ Drinks
▪ Spreads
▪ Meat alternatives
* Mainly NL, BE, UK, DK, FI and CH
Product types on the EU* market
Danish R&D projects 2017/18 (>100k €)Food product development projects highlighted
Mealworms
▪ inVALUABLE (3.7M €, IFD)
▪ SUSMEAL (1.1M €, IFD)
▪ VALIN (175k €, GUDP)
▪ Wholi (100k €, IFD)
▪ ENORM (100k €, IFD)
▪ NLF (135k €, IFD)
Black Solider Fly
▪ WICE (390k €, MUDP)
▪ SUPERIOR (375k €, MUDP)
▪ Green Biorefining (360k €, F&I)
Crickets
▪ GREEINSECT (1.34M €, DANIDA)
▪ Syngja (200k €, IFD)
>7M € portfolio
inVALUABLE: OverviewInsect Value Chain in a Circular Bioeconomy
Duration: 2017-2019 (36 months)
Total budget: 3.7M EUR (2.5M EUR investment from Innovation Fund Denmark)
The vision of inVALUABLE is to create a sustainable resource-efficient industry for animal production based on insects
The partners span the entire value chain and include entrepreneurs, experts in biology, biotech, automation, processing and food technology and safety. This interaction of competences is key to lifting insect production to an industrial level
inVALUABLE: Focal areasInsect Value Chain in a Circular Bioeconomy
▪ Assessment of the human nutritional value of selected insects (e.g. mealworms and crickets) using the DIAAS (Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score protein) method
▪ Food application testing with different types of treated (defatted, texturized or enzymes) insect-meal products in selected products and recipes; supplemented by sensory assessment and screening of functional properties of the insect-meal
▪ Product development, e.g. during the MSc-course ‘Thematic course in Food Innovation and Health at Nordic Food Lab and with external collaborators
inVALUABLE: Food Application (WP7)
Which food product types are relevant?Collaboration with MSc student team on ‘Thematic course in Food Innovation’ @UCPH
▪ Focus on baked goods, such as rye bread and cracker, using buffalo larvae meal (58.6% protein)
▪ Consumer testing showed some disliking at high inclusion levels, but a general acceptance as appropriate product category
▪ Insects have a distinct umami taste; hence, does it make sense to use them in e.g. confectionary and breakfast products?*
*See also recent article in Food Navigator on choosing product categories for protein-rich foods
inVALUABLE: InnovateFood.dk 2017
Student challenge: “…we challenge you to come up with creative ideas and innovative foods based on insects…”
Output from InnovateFood.dk 2017
▪ Focus on ‘meal-related’ insect-based foods for lunch and/or dinner (e.g. spreads)
▪ Convenience foods (e.g. quiche)
▪ Assessment of potential consumer profile
Potential short-term consumer profile:‘The conscious consumer’
▪ Medium to high educational level
▪ Medium to high socioeconomic status
▪ Lives in more urbanized residential areas
▪ Food neophilic
▪ Convenience orientation
Consumer values and triggers
▪ Sustainability (climate, environment, social, ethics), story telling, healthy, local/regional produce, less concerned with money than vision/values
▪ ‘Ism’-driven, e.g. nutritionism and/orenvironmentalism – ‘good karma’ – feeling good about what they are eating, being kind to themselves and the environment
▪ Intergenerational – passing along healthy and sustainable foods to their children
Long-term marketing strategy: Make early adopters to become ‘big fans’…
Source: Everett Rogers - Diffusion of Innovations (1962)
16% of citizens in ‘insect-pro’ EU countries (NL, BE, DK, UK, FI) = 17 mill. people
16% of EU citizens = 82 mill. people
Future perspectives in food product development
▪ Short-term (now?)
▪ ‘Hybrid products’ (e.g. plant-, meat- or dairy-based products fused with insects)
▪ Long-term (10 years?)
▪ When consumers have generally accepted insect ingredients in food products… then ‘more exotic’ insects species may be introduced...
Fly larvae protein
