The Lithuanian firm was based in 2020 with the imaginative and prescient of making “high-quality insect-derived elements for the meals business that excel in dietary and practical qualities.”
The corporate launched its pilot facility in 2022 enabling Divaks to develop its insect protein providing and is at present approaching the closing phases of its Sequence A funding spherical, having already secured a considerable a part of its €67 million goal.
And now, Divaks has introduced its collaboration with Swiss know-how group Bühler to construct its first commercial-scale yellow mealworm plant, which is able to open for manufacturing in 2025, aiming to provide as much as 15,000 tonnes of insect-derived merchandise yearly, and double its present manufacturing by 2030.
Bühler will likely be accountable for all course of know-how, together with feedstock preparation to offer secure and nourishing feed to the larvae, and a completely automated larvae progress system with local weather management.
Moreover, Bühler will present the processing line to remodel the harvested larvae into textured insect proteins (TIP), insect protein concentrates (IPC), and different specialised meals elements.
Kęstutis Lipnickas, CEO of Divaks, states: “Bühler will ship the state-of-the artwork know-how we’d like, permitting us to give attention to crucial actions: market improvement and creating sustainable merchandise that excel in dietary and practical qualities.”
Why mealworms?
Yellow mealworm (the larval type of the yellow mealworm darkling beetle, often called Tenebrio molitor), is an “environmentally pleasant, nutritious protein supply that can be utilized in purposes together with meat alternate options, sports activities diet, snacks, and confectionery in addition to premium pet meals,” Lipnickas explains.
“They’re a superb supply of high-quality protein, with all 9 important amino acids essential for human diet. In addition they comprise wholesome fat, nutritional vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibres.”
Insect proteins, together with these from mealworms, have been discovered to have excessive digestibility charges.
They’ve additionally been discovered to be a supply of B-vitamins, together with B12, which might typically be missing in plant-based diets.
Moreover, they comprise minerals like iron, zinc, potassium, and selenium, that are important for numerous bodily features, together with immune response and antioxidant safety.
Meant purposes
Yellow mealworm is a perfect ingredient for sports activities diet, Lipnickas explains, as it’s an space through which full proteins are important for muscle restore and progress.
“Insect-derived proteins are excessive in high quality and will be simply digested, making them perfect for athletes who require environment friendly protein synthesis for muscle restore and progress.”
Moreover, he notes that “for shoppers centered on well being and wellness, insect proteins present a nutrient-dense choice.
“They’re wealthy in nutritional vitamins and minerals, which might assist general well being, and will be part of diets that concentrate on weight administration resulting from their excessive protein and low carbohydrate content material.”
He provides that the potential for insect-derived elements in specialised meals merchandise is huge and continues to develop, as shoppers turn out to be extra conscious of the environmental and well being advantages of those sustainable protein sources.
Sustainability and circularity
The brand new plant will enable Divaks to utilise residue from the mealworm manufacturing as natural fertiliser, with the goal of contributing to more healthy soils, according to the corporate’s round economic system imaginative and prescient.
Lipnickas explains: “Mealworms contribute to a round economic system – they are often consumed low high quality by product from grain processing and switch them into high-quality proteins.”
He provides that “from the sustainability viewpoint, mealworms have a decrease environmental affect than conventional livestock farming.
“They emit fewer greenhouse gases, use much less water and land – they’re much extra environment friendly at changing feed into physique mass in comparison with livestock.”
Lipnickas notes as shoppers more and more search for sustainable choices, the yellow mealworm manufacturing adheres to the broader development in the direction of sustainability, and sustainable protein sources should be a part of the broader dialog.
