Feed protein from waste of food industries - data for increased productivity and traceability in the value chain

Important results from the project

The project aims to investigate the conditions for data collection and sharing between stakeholders in the value chain for insect-based fish feed, where insects are raised with organic waste streams and processed into a sustainable protein source. The benefits of data sharing is createing traceability through the value chain, from upstream actors who deliver organic residual streams, to downstream actors, such as feed producers and fish farmers. The project also aims to investigate possibilities for automated production, as manual processes dominate the process today.

Expected long term effects

The technical conditions for sharing data between actors are good as there are systems that can be integrated across the value chain. The system needs to include a solution for traceability, as the mapping of data needs has shown the need to be able to both identify and verify the origin and content of the organic residual stream. An effective system is based on automatic data collection and which has a potential for development. An analysis of how sensors can be used to collect relevant data showed that the technology exists, but sensors for pathogen detection require further development.

Approach and implementation

The project began with a mapping of data points across the value chain based on two aspects; 1) relevant data for each actor, 2) which actor owns the requested data. A detailed review of the process in the pilot plant was then carried out, showing both available data, the need for new data, and sensors available. Based on the mapping, the requirements for the data sharing platform were identifed aswell as the requirements for traceability through the value chain. In addition, opportunities for scaling up the pilot with a transition from manual to automated processes have been identified.