C3 Project

Development of new alternative sources of animal feed to study the feasibility of obtaining feed and animal feed products for birds, based on alternative protein sources.

The C3 Project formulates and develops animal feed products based on an alternative protein source such as insects. Moreover, the project aims to characterize in detail the nutrient composition of the by-products to identify and select those that allow maximum efficiency, and at the same time, optimize the by-product as a protein ingredient for the formulation of high biological value feed.

The use of insects as an alternative protein represents an important solution to the current and future situation for the forecast of a lack of protein on a global scale, with initial incidence in the field of animal feeding and, later, in human consumption, in a context in which it is estimated that demand will grow by 50% by the middle of the century and will reach 60 million tons of protein in 2030. The increase in the world population, together with the change in diets, have caused the urgent need to provide protein supplements from sustainable sources for incorporation into animal feed.

Eurecat participates in the project through its Nutrition and Health Unit, which is in charge of mapping the plant by-products of the organic food agribusiness that can be upcycled for the production of alternative protein, in the characterization of the flour / product of the resulting insect, in the study of the process conditions for obtaining hydrolysed protein from insects and in the characterization of the resulting poultry products.

The C3 project, which is currently in execution, is coordinated by the Catalan Association of innovation in the pig meat industry (INNOVACC) and counts with the participation of three beneficiary companies: Granjas Ecológicas, Splendid Foods and Nutrex Pinsos.