Enterra optimistic of quick approval for meal
The Enterra Feed Company says it is hoping to receive speedy approval from authorities for its meal derived from black fly larvae.
Last month the British Columbia-based company received approval from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to sell its whole dried black soldier fly larvae as a feed ingredient for salmonids, including farmed salmon, trout and arctic char.
Speaking to fishgfarmingexpert.com, Enterra’s marketing manager Victoria Leung said: “The process of gaining approval from CFIA was longer than expected. Though insects are a common food for fish and livestock, it took about four years to get our first approval for our whole dried larvae in chicken broiler feed in July 2016, followed by salmonid feed earlier this year.
“We’re hopeful that our applications for meal - the protein component of our dried larvae - will be approved in a shorter timeframe given the precedence that has now been set.”
Enterra’s sales have tripled each year since its farm in Langley, British Columbia, opened in 2014. It plans to expand its existing facility and establish additional farms in Canada and the US to meet the increased customer demand anticipated to result from future US and Canadian approval – possibly as early as this year – of its complementary feed product, Enterra Meal.
Making progress
“Unlike common feed commodities with fluctuating prices based on availability and demand, our products have consistent year-round pricing. The only drawback thus far has been a lack of regulatory approval, but we have been making good progress in this area as of late.”
“The main benefits of whole dried black soldier fly larvae are that they are a natural feed ingredient for animals, offering high digestibility and palatability,” Leung said. “They are also sustainably produced using pre-consumer recycled food, allowing us to recapture nutrients from the waste stream that would otherwise be lost.
Massive potential
“With world feed production reaching one billion tonnes annually at US $400 billion in revenues, the market potential is massive. Whole dried larvae is an ideal ingredient for fish, poultry, birds, pets and other animals.
Asked about plans to roll out the Enterra’s products around the globe, Leung told fishfarmingexpert.com: “While our main focus has been the North American markets, we have been exploring the international markets as well. It will become a bigger focus for us as we move forward with additional production facilities.”
