Insects in animal and human feed: future steps in serving emerging markets

• Grant number: 22/07726-6
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: June 01, 2023
• End date: May 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy
• Principal Investigator: Patrícia Milano
• Grantee: Patrícia Milano
• Company: Patricia Milano - ME
• CNAE: Comércio varejista de outros produtos novos não especificados anteriormente
• City: Limeira
• Pesquisadores principais: Gianni Queiroz Haddad
• Associated researchers: Camila de Souza Paglarini ; Valter Arthur
• Associated research grant: 16/00152-3 - Insects for animal and human feeding: adaptations and research for mass rearing in Brazil, AP.PIPE
• Associated scholarship(s): 23/07842-9 - Insects in animal and human feeding: future steps in serving emerging markets, BP.PIPE

Abstract

The PIPE phase 2 project continues the research and improvements carried out in the PIPE phase 1 project by Ecological Food, seeking the improvement of the techniques of sterilization of the raw material (insect flour) so that the national industries of product development for humans as well as manufacturers of animal feed can use the raw material with data security i.e., microbiology and physical-chemical configuration for the safe preparation of food. The tested techniques will be bleaching and irradiation by cobalt 60. In addition to the improvement in the techniques of sterilization of the raw material, the startup aims to test, through the biology of insects and physicochemical analyses, two artificial diets used as a source of moisture for the species Tenebrio molitor, an insect kept in flours, that is, dry means of feeding, which requires a moisture source to develop. The determination of the best diet to be offered to the species will result in direct application in the startup's creation system. Insects submitted to food in dry environment and in the best artificial diet will be slaughtered and submitted to sterilization tests and physical-chemical tests to be offered in the form of flour for food industry both for humans and animals, being another product to be made available in the market by the startup. Thus, the improvement of the techniques of creation of T. molitor and the improvement of insect sterilization techniques with a view to supplying them in the form of flour, will provide Ecological Food, provide cricket and tenebrium flours for the food industry of different segments, which will result in the incorporation of insect flour into a wide variety of products, providing the startup with the possibility of occupying a prominent place in the supply of raw materials in the domestic market, also with a view to the foreign market. (AU)