PROTIX

paul vander

Zoomark is back, in great style. What news do you have in store for visitors to your stand at BolognaFiere?
We are delighted to launch fresh PureeX®, a new fresh insect meat. This new variant of our already successful frozen PureeX promises maximum nutritional value with minimum processing. Like all the ingredients in the Protix portfolio, fresh PureeX harnesses the full health benefits of proteins and lipids from the black soldier fly. It also lowers the ‘pawprint’ of pet food significantly as shown in a recent life cycle analysis. It can be used in dry and wet food as well as snacks.
Thanks to straightforward rapid processing with a minimum amount of steps, fresh PureeX is an ingredient which is low in biogenic amines, a commonly used measure of freshness. It has been developed in response to market demand for fresh, healthy and sustainable pet food at an appealing price-quality ratio.
In two lab studies with PureeX and other insect-based ingredients, we found a stronger antioxidant activity compared to commonly-used pet food (ingredients). In the competitive pet market where consumers want to keep their four-legged friends healthier for longer, the higher antioxidant activity of fresh PureeX delivers a potential added benefit.
We look forward to discussing details with visitors to our booth.

Why do you think is it important to take part in Zoomark? What are your expectations and what are your goals?
Insect ingredients are a relatively new industry, so larger events such as Zoomark provide an important platform for us to showcase their powerful potential.
There is already growing awareness of the health and environmental benefits of insects, and we look forward to inspiring manufacturers with our latest product innovation and all the tasty applications.
Zoomark is the largest platform to present the latest in insect-based ingredients to create healthy and sustainable pet food. We are excited at this opportunity to meet our innovative partners and team up with potential new partners, and present hard data and facts about the low footprint and the health benefits of insect ingredients. It's a great chance to share inspiration face-to-face.

Can you tell me about your vision of the pet market: what are your predictions for the industry from now to Zoomark 2023? What challenges await us in the coming months and what opportunities?
There is a trend for consumers to humanise their furry companions. That translates to treating them to premium and super premium foods (what’s good for the human is good for the pet!) that have a minimal impact on the environment. Nutritious and highly palatable insect ingredients are an attractive solution: they have a lower ‘paw print’ than many other common nutrient sources, leaving pet parents with a clean conscience and a happy, healthy cat or dog.
The fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and the sharp rise in raw materials costs, coupled with supply chain issues, pose a challenge for manufacturers. Insect ingredients have the benefit of being produced locally in a circular system that exploits waste streams that would otherwise go unused.