Malaysian insect player receives green light to export products to Europe

A subsidiary of environmental waste firm Veolia Group, Veolia Bioconversion, recently gained approval to export insect meal and insect oil to the European Union after Malaysia’s Ministry of Agriculture approved its ‘Entomeal’ and ‘Entolipid’ insect products for their applications in pet food and aquaculture.

The company gained a TRACES EU digital certification supporting the importation of animal products into the European Union, and it is reportedly one of the few Asian insect meal producers to be part of this scheme.

Veolia says they are “thrilled” to provide a “sustainable alternative source of protein to the European market after recognizing an increasing requirement for sustainable and functional ingredients in the pet food and the aqua feed industry.”

Meeting increasing demand

Veolia aims to supply the European market with a “consistent,” “high-quality” supply of insect products and fill the rising demand for the popular protein alternative.

“With our authorization, we can meet the growing market demand for sustainable alternative protein sources primarily coming from the pet food industry,” points out Fabrice Latchoumanin, General Manager at Veolia Bioconversion Malaysia, in conversion with GlobalPETS.

Latchoumanin reiterates that Malaysian authorities’ interest in insect-based products has more global value than just being pet food-oriented. “It is part of the government’s efforts to find ways to alleviate import dependency and increase food security in the country,” he emphasizes.

Veolia Bioconversion says it operates one of Asia’s largest industrial insect facilities, with an annual production capacity of 3,000 tons of insect products. The facility converts black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) into insect protein meal, insect oil and organic fertilizer.