Consortium: Thunder Foods S.A. – TF (promoter), Ingredient Odyssey, SA – IO (partner), Centro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz – CiiEM (partner), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar da Universidade do Porto – ICBAS-UP (partner) and NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS – NORCE (donor state partner).

Considering population growth and the resulting increase in demand for animal protein, we need to ensure that food production is sustainable and based on circular economy principles. The EU imports around 70% of the protein, and the aquafeed industry has long been looking for sustainable and local sources, such as insects. The production of insects is carried out according to principles of circular economy, using by-products from the agri-food sector as substrate, using nutrients that would otherwise be discarded. Studies support the use of insects in aquafeeds, and in some cases it has even been shown to support animal welfare. However, different insects have different nutritional profiles, are not always perfectly suited to aquafeeds, and have also different needs at a productive level. The objective of InFishMix is to develop a new tailor-made protein source for use in aquafeeds for salmon and seabass based on different insects, also testing an innovative approach for the simultaneous production of these insects, approved for use in aquaculture: Tenebrio molitor, Hermetia illucens and Musca domestica. This approach will optimize the protein's amino acid profile to meet the specific needs of two species of great importance at the European level, salmon, and seabass, and to optimize the insect production process, using bio-resources as efficiently as possible, reducing production costs, resulting in a new, more sustainable and economical ingredient. To this end, zootechnical trials will be carried out to assess the performance of this ingredient in aquafeeds. These tests will be followed by a stress challenge, which will assess the impact on fish health, animal welfare, and stress response. The quality and food safety of fish will also be evaluated to ensure that the final consumer has access to a superior-quality product. The Norwegian partner will be in charge of the salmon trials, thus strengthening the relationship between Portugal and a Donor State.