Tyson Foods and Protix enter a strategic partnership, aiming to transform food manufacturing byproducts into sustainable insect proteins and lipids. Their upcoming facility will prioritize the pet food, aquaculture, and livestock sectors, heralding a significant shift towards sustainable protein production.

In a step towards sustainable protein production, global food company, Tyson Foods, Inc., has entered a strategic partnership with Protix, an insect ingredients company based in the Netherlands. This collaboration aims to bolster the emerging insect ingredient sector, offering a more sustainable alternative for protein and lipid production in the food system.

The agreement, marrying Tyson Foods’ global reach with Protix’s insect ingredient technology, seeks to meet the rising demand and scale the production of insect-based ingredients. As part of the collaboration, Tyson Foods will acquire a minority stake in Protix to facilitate its global outreach. Furthermore, both entities have set in motion a joint venture to establish an insect ingredient facility in the U.S., focusing on up-cycling food manufacturing byproducts. This facility, upon fruition, is set to pioneer the large-scale conversion of these byproducts into insect proteins and lipids, targeting primary sectors like pet food, aquaculture, and livestock.

Kees Aarts, CEO of Protix, emphasized the partnership’s mutual dedication to creating high-quality, sustainable proteins through innovative means. With Protix already producing significant quantities of insect-based ingredients in its Netherlands facility since 2019, this venture underscores a growing industry trend towards alternative and sustainable feed solutions.