Tyson Foods is further pushing toward sustainable protein production through a unique collaboration. The meat provider recently reached an agreement for a two-fold investment with global insect ingredients company Protix, aiming to support the growth of the emerging insect ingredient industry and expand the use of insect ingredient solutions to create more efficient sustainable proteins and lipids for use in the global food system.
Through a direct equity investment, Tyson Foods will acquire a minority stake in Protix to help fund its global expansion.
“Our partnership with Protix represents the latest strategic investment by Tyson Foods in groundbreaking solutions that drive added value to Tyson Foods’ business,” said John R. Tyson, Chief Financial Officer of Tyson Foods. “The insect lifecycle provides the opportunity for full circularity within our value chain, strengthening our commitment to building a more sustainable food system for the future.”
As a press release stated, the agreement combines Tyson Foods’ global scale, experience, and network with Protix’s technology and market leadership to meet current market demand and scale production of insect ingredients.
Further bolstering this collaboration, Tyson Foods and Protix have entered a joint venture for the operation and construction of an insect ingredient facility in the continental United States. The facility will house an enclosed system to support 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.
“We are very excited to announce the next step in our international growth strategy,” said Kees Aarts, Chief Executive Officer of Protix. “Tyson Foods’ and Protix’s strategic partnership advances our joint work toward creating high-quality, more sustainable protein using innovative technology and solutions. Moreover, we can immediately use their existing byproducts as feedstock for our insects. This agreement is a major milestone for Protix and significantly accelerates our ambition to grow through international partnerships.”
More information on the partnership can be found here.
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