Meat-Producing Giant Tyson Foods is Now Investing in Insect Protein
It appears that those insect-based ingredients will be heading into animal food.
Tyson Foods, a major U.S. producer of beef, pork, and chicken, is now making plans to develop products from protein that comes from insects.
The meat processor said on Tuesday that it has invested in Protix, a Netherlands-based insect ingredients maker. Tyson is not only taking a minority stake in the company, but is working alongside it to build a US factory. That facility will use animal waste to feed black soldier flies, which will then be turned into food for pets, poultry and fish. Tyson did not disclose the financial specifics of the deal.
Those flies are not going into human food, at this point. “Today, we’re focused on more of [an] ingredient application with insect protein than we are a consumer application,” said John R. Tyson, chief financial officer of Tyson Foods.
It appears that those insect-based ingredients will be heading into food for animals.
According to a statement from Tyson Foods, the Springdale-based corporation has reached an agreement with Protix, a leading multinational insect ingredients company, to create and run an insect protein processing facility with the goal of providing more sustainable protein production— “primarily to be used in the pet food, aquaculture, and livestock industries.”
The collaboration will create “the first at-scale facility of its kind to upcycle food manufacturing byproducts into high-quality insect proteins and lipids,” according to Tyson.
The facility will house “all aspects of insect protein production including the breeding, incubating, and hatching of insect larvae. In addition to ingredients for the aquaculture and pet food industries, processed larvae may also be used as ingredients within livestock and plant feed,” according to Tyson.
However, it is just another instance of the continuing push to force insects into the human food supply by “sustainability” advocates.
Arnold van Huis, a professor emeritus at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands, is the chief editor of the Journal of Insects as Food and Feed, which tracks the progress of this emerging industry.
“Everything is new. You have to invent everything from scratch,” he said of the needed research into insect genetics, the automation of production and testing to determine which types of insects are best suited to feed which animals.
Van Huis is a proponent of direct human consumption of insects, either whole or ground into other ingredients, but he admits the cultural barrier is high. Consumer surveys in Europe and the U.S. show a strong “ick” response to eating insects or even products with insect ingredients.
However, insects are an important source of nutrition for poultry.
Sorry but @zerohedge misses the mark on this one – insects are a natural (and very nutritious) feed source for poultry. https://t.co/EU6YcQQaCS it's not likely a conspiracy to get humans to eat bugs because Protix raises maggots (BSFL), not crickets.
— Josh Galt (@JoshGalt) October 18, 2023
As a fan of chicken, turkey, and eggs, I am all for better livestock food. As long as Tyson Foods doesn’t decide to follow the poor advice of young and woke marketing executives and keeps the insect ingredients in the appropriate food, they may not have a problem with consumers.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
Tyson Foods has been investing in insect protein.
That’s good. I have been looking for a good source of protein to feed my insects.
Don’t worry, they will force the bugs on you one way or another… because “cow farts are evil,” or something like that.
The “ick” factor with respect to animal feed is due to ignorance. People who advocate for “free range” chickens have to be OK with what they eat while they’re “free ranging” – like bugs. Every farm kid knows better. Every time the subject comes up, I’m reminded of Wu’s pigs (“Deadwood”).
Free range chickens will eat almost anything, the mini-raptors that they are. They are quite fond of mice and snakes. And I’ve been told that letting them loose in your yard (or using a chicken tractor) is an excellent way to deal with insect pests, especially ticks.
Except if you have pit bulls
Prey instinct off the rails
People may disagree but I find the “pasture raised” insects really taste better than “free range” insects. Definitely worth the premium.
Step one was breaking or taking over the pork industry with Smithfield Foods. All with the help of HUnter (I didn’t nothing wrong) BUYden
I try to stay away for Smithfield
The local meat market here is 2-3 times more expensive
But…
I agree. Local!
Haven’t bought anything from Tyson in quite a while. Looks like I’ll keep it that way.
Soylent Green — coming soon to a store near you.
Feed it to the animals, fine, they like stuff like that. If you want to sell it as a delicacy to stupid libtards, there’s probably a market for that too. Don’t even try to sell me on the idea of eating insects. I didn’t grow up in the 3rd world and I don’t plan on emulating them anytime soon.
The French have been eating stuff like that for centuries. It shows.
Tyson is the Arkansas company which was involved (and maybe still is) with Slick Willy. I haven’t knowingly eaten ANYTHING from this company because of their support of him and his harridan “wife.” This is the first shot across the bow for eventually forcing humans to eat this crap. I ate bugs in an Army survival school but as part of my normal diet, HELL NO!
Tyson has had one foot in the grave for many years now. Maybe if this hits the MSM it’ll finally push them off the edge.
Perdue feeds its chickens marigolds
we usually buy Perdue chickens.
havent bought Tysons in years.
Are pets equipped to consume insect chitin? It’s poisonous to humans and, I presume, dogs and cats. Cats, being obligate carnivores, are especially sensitive to their diet. If you want to kill your cat feed it vegan food. Fish likely to be kept as pets don’t consume insects.
Poultry do consume insects in their natural diet, as do most birds, so I imagine it’s safe for them to consume frankenfood like this.
If it’s labeled as containing insect protein, I will not buy it and give it to my dog.
I am certain no one I know would do it either even if it was much cheaper
Insects have long been farmed to make food for pets, farm animals and fish.
By huge, food producing companies. Even companies that also make food for people.
This is a non-story.