The positive opinion of the US Food and Drug Administration in October 2023 further emphasizes the credibility of the product, noted the France-headquartered producer of insect ingredients.
Official US approval will be published in the coming weeks.
This US regulatory green light for its mealworm-derived ingredient, Protein70, was granted based on a comprehensive scientific dossier, including a six-month trial placing mealworm-derived ingredients in dog food, Ÿnsect said.
The company also reported that collaborative studies with Summit Ridge Farms, as part of the marketing authorization submission, indicated the safety and nutritional benefits of a diet containing up to 30% mealworm proteins. Beyond the nutritional benefits, Ÿnsect maintains that mealworm proteins act as an environmental alternative, potentially reducing the industry’s footprint.
US market expansion
The move opens the doors for Ÿnsect to expand into the US market. Nearly 4 in 10 American households have a dog (48%), with a total of more than 65 million dogs across the US, according to data from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), By 2022, the market for pet products is worth about $136 bn, with $42bn dedicated to the pet food market alone, according to a report from the American Pet Products Association (APPA). And this market continues to grow, with a growth rate of about 5%, according to the analysis of TechNavio experts.
Ÿnsect, which launched its pet food brand Springlast year also collaborated with Professor Kelly Swanson from the Animal Sciences Laboratory at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign to study defatted mealworm flour in that research that reportedly shows protein quality comparable to meat of beef, pork, and salmon.
“Our discussions with the main players in the pet food market have led us to expect significant growth in meat protein alternatives in this market,” commented Philippe Pichol, chief sales and marketing officer, Ÿinsect.