Frequently asked questions
Here are some of the FAQs we get about our company and products.
If you have specific questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us, we are more than happy to answer all of them.
The Black Soldier Fly is one of the most interesting commercial insect species as they can live on almost any type of substrate.
They have a strong evolutionary-developed immune system and are not associated with any transmitted diseases. Their lifecycle is shorter compared to other commercially produced insects.
The Black Soldier Fly naturally lives in tropical regions like Vietnam with the perfect temperature and humidity. This avoids an artificial climate system and lowers energy costs.
Secondly, the main market for our insect protein meal is aquaculture. More than 75% of global fish farming is in Asia. So we are close to our main market.
As Vietnam has a strong agricultural and food economy, by-products in large volumes are locally available.
Locally available by-products of food and agriculture are collected and mixed. These are put in trays, that are stapled on each other (vertical farming).
The small larvae of the Black Soldier Fly are put in these trays and are growing till the pre-pupae stage. The larvae are separated from their excrements (separation of the H-Ferti from the larvae).
Then the larvae are dried (dried larvae), the oil is pressed out (H-Oil) and the remaining product is milled into a fine powder (H-Meal).
The larvae are reared on 100% traceable, pre-consumer, and plant-based substrate, complying with EU regulations. These include local by-products of the agricultural and food industry.
The adult flies, used for reproduction, do not eat. This is why the larvae are full of nutrients such as proteins and fats, as they store them for the rest of their life. They only drink some water.
We currently have 3 products: H-Meal, H-Oil, and H-Ferti.
- H-Meal is used as a protein source for fish, shrimp, livestock, and pet food.
- H-Oil is used as a fat source in animal feed for fish, shrimp, livestock, and pet food.
- H-Ferti is used as a fertilizer for plants such as fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
Entobel is doing what nature has done for millions of years: upgrading low-value by-products by insects into higher-value feed. In nature, insects eat by-products of nature and the insects are then eaten by fish, birds, livestock, and even dogs and cats!
We are part of the circular economy, by upgrading “waste” streams and putting them again into the food chain. Our process is creating no waste: we use insects as protein and fat sources. The excrement of the insects is used as fertilizer.
More than half of all seafood globally eaten comes from fish farming. To feed these fish, we currently rely on marine-based ingredients. Small wild fish in the oceans are caught and processed into fishmeal and fish oil. To produce 1 kg of fishmeal, about 4 kg of wild fish is needed! This leads to depleting oceans and a loss of biodiversity, disturbing the marine ecosystem. 1 kg of insect meal saves 4 kg of wild fish!
Fishmeal is also associated with plastics and chemical accumulation, due to the pollution in our oceans.
Lastly, the world population is growing and aquaculture is the fastest-growing food production system. The amount of fishmeal produced is limited, so alternative protein sources must be developed.
No, all our products are 100% insect-based products. We do not add any chemicals during the process. We only add antioxidants if needed to extend the shelf life.
In aquafeed, trials show better palatability and increased feed intake, better growth performance, and anti-microbial properties.
In pet food, studies show increased palatability and hypoallergenic properties.
H-Oil shows anti-microbial properties and improves the health of the animals.
We currently only focus on animal and plant nutrition.
Our factory is FDA-approved and ISO 22000 and HACCP-certified.
At Entobel, we believe that cooperation along the value chain – from farmer to customer- is key.
- As a farmer: if interested in using one of our products for your animals, we are happy to connect you with the feed manufacturers that are using our products.
- As a feed mill: if interested in a sustainable and competitive protein or fat source, we would be happy to introduce you to our products and the trials we have performed.
- As a seafood processor/trader or retailer: if interested in sustainable or premium seafood, we can cooperate together over the value chain from ingredient suppliers over partners’ feed mills and farmers to the end product.
- As a food/agricultural company: if you have some by-products of your process, we would be happy to see whether we can use these to upgrade into insect products.
- As a distributor: if interested in distributing our products for a specific region, please get in touch with us.
- As a scientific partner: we are continuously investing in R&D to develop new products and processes and are happy to cooperate with universities and research institutions.
