Kick-off meeting of the joint research project OptiFood - Development of sustainable and competitive insect foods

On 24 May 2024, the joint research project OptiFood (Development of sustainable and competitive insect foods) was launched at a kick-off meeting at the Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum geminützige GmbH (DBFZ) in Leipzig. The project is coordinated by the DBFZ. The practical partners involved are Hermetia Baruth GmbH, Institut für Getreideverarbeitung GmbH and ISF Schaumann Forschung GmbH as well as the research partners University of Technology Chemnitz, Pilot Pflanzenöltechnologie Magdeburg e. V. (PPM) and Frankenförder Forschungsgesellschaft mbH.

Insects are successfully marketed as animal feed in the pet, livestock and aquaculture sectors and are also a suitable source of protein for human nutrition. This is what the OptiFood project is all about. The researchers want to develop sustainably produced, safe and tasty insect foods as an alternative source of protein. In addition to improving the production process, the aim is to lay the foundations for a successful market launch and authorisation.

The "OptiFood" project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and will run for three years.