SPRINGDALE, ARK. — Tyson Foods, Inc. is partnering with The Netherlands-based insect ingredients company, Protix. With the partnership, the companies will leverage their knowledge in the meat and insect industries to provide sustainable proteins and lipids for use in the global food system, according to the company.
“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.”
In addition, Tyson is acquiring a minority stake in Protix to help fund its global expansion. The partnership also includes construction of an insect ingredient facility in the United States. The facility will enable the companies to upcycle food manufacturing byproducts into insect proteins and lipids for use in the pet food, aquaculture and livestock industries. It will feature an enclosed system to produce insect proteins including breeding, incubating and hatching of insect larvae.
“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 towards 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.”
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