The grant has been awarded to a newly created network, comprising the Insect Bioconversion Association (INBIA), Fera Science Ltd and the UK Agri-Tech Centre. The network will provide evidence to guarantee safety in the sector – which transforms organic waste into valuable products, including aquafeed ingredients – while facilitating its growth.
As part of the one-year initiative, called IBC-Net, Fera will conduct insect growth trials in York, focusing on the safety of insect-derived products from black soldier fly larvae reared on municipal food waste. The trials will assess the risks and opportunities associated with using BSF on substrates from INBIA’s network, providing data on safety, efficacy and regulatory compliance.
The findings, along with any identified risks, will be submitted to key regulatory bodies, including the UK's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, the Food Standards Agency and the Environment Agency.
The project also includes a collaboration with Wageningen University’s SAFE Insect programme, focusing on animal by-products and transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) risks.
The network will also draft new industry standards, provide policy recommendations and work closely with regulatory bodies, including the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, the Food Standards Agency and the Environment Agency.
Miha Pipan, chair of INBIA, said in a press release: “We’re delighted for IBC-Net to be embarking on this second stage, offering a platform for the insect bioconversion sector to engage with regulators and enforcement agencies alike.
“The UK’s regulatory regime applying to insects is one of the strictest in the world, often limiting what businesses can do and therefore the beneficial economic and environmental impacts our sector can have domestically. This work is particularly timely, considering changes to the UK’s waste management landscape, including Simpler Recycling mandates.
“This project is a step in the right direction, to help make the future of UK insect bioconversion more competitive on the global stage and help boost growth and job creation in this sector at home.”
Dr Maureen Wakefield, senior applied entomologist at Fera Science Limited, added: “Risk assessment requires robust scientific evidence.
“Fera has conducted research to assess the safety of insect-derived products and will utilise specialist facilities and expertise for the IBC-Net project to examine potential hazards associated with municipal food waste as a rearing substrate for BSF larvae.”
