OptiFood - Development of sustainable and competitive insect foods
Brief project description
Insects are successfully marketed as animal feed in the pet, livestock and aquaculture sectors, and insects are also a suitable source of protein for human nutrition. However, at present, insect foods are still a niche product and only a few products have been established on the market for many years. Grain-based feed mixtures are often used as raw materials in insect fattening, which could also be used as livestock feed and food. The high prices for insect food are also due to high raw material prices. Consumer acceptance is necessary for the successful establishment of insect foods. The development of innovative and sustainably produced insect protein products can be a key to this.
The objective of the project is to develop innovative foods containing insect protein that offer significantly higher quality, sustainability and competitiveness compared to competing products. To this end, the project will create and implement the technological basis for the development of such insect foods as an alternative source of protein on the one hand, and successfully launch and obtain marketing authorisation on the other.
Project details
| Project duration: | 15.04.2024 – 14.04.2027 |
| Funding organisation: | Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) |
| Funding program: | Announcement on the funding of research and development projects for the development and use of alternative protein sources for human nutrition. |
| Funding reference: | 281A808A21 |
| Project coordination: | DBFZ Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum gemeinnützige GmbH |
| Contact: | Harald Wedwitschka (Project coordination) |
Project partners
The OptiFood project is being carried out as a joint project in collaboration with the following partners:
