Another up-and-coming technology in alternative protein is insect protein, a nutrient-dense protein source for either human or animal consumption.
Entomophagy, the practice of eating insects, is traditional among some communities; this is because it is low-cost and simple to rear some insects. It is accepted more widely in Asian countries than the West, where eating insect protein is subject to restrictive or unclear regulations limiting the growth of this growing industry. Regulations relating to whole or only minimally processed insects are generally much less strict than when using insects in a processed form, such as an additive ingredient. There is a long way to go, especially in the West, both in terms of social and regulatory development.
Nevertheless, consumers globally are becoming more socially aware and health conscious, demanding high-protein meat-alternatives. Insect protein may still be near the bottom of the alternative protein options, particularly in the West, however, insect farming is a viable, natural, and sustainable high-protein alternative, requiring a fraction of the energy, water, and land to produce, compared to current agricultural practice. It also produces minimal emissions, tackling both food insecurity and climate impact.
According to research from Ÿnsect, a market leader, insect farming 100kg of feed produces 36kg edible weight, with 6kg of digestible protein, enough to fulfil the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for 151 days. Comparatively in cattle farming, 100kg of feed produces 4kg of edible weight, with 1kg of digestible protein, enough to fulfil the RDA for 21 days.
As such, the technology area demands to be investigated.
Insect protein-derived products – to be successful for the mass market – will need to address technological as well as social and regulatory hurdles. As is common for these young alternative protein industries, challenges relate to producing and processing a high volume of insects economically and in line with stringent regulations, as well as making sure the resulting food product is appetising.
Experts estimate a 52% increase in global protein consumption between 2007 and 2030, with global edible insect market reaching a possible £4.63 billion by 2027. Taking everything into account – including the headline benefits that insect protein offers – we expect to see an increase in patent filings as established players and new start-ups address the technical problems currently limiting mass market uptake of insect protein. We anticipate a significant uptick in filing numbers, should regulations relax to allow for more processed insect protein.
Global patent activity
While still at relatively low levels, global patent filings relating to insect protein are increasing in step with the growing global interest.
Figure 1: Forty-year trend: global priority filings – insect protein innovations
South Korea has consistently dominated global insect protein patent filings. The filing trend reflects the consumer market in Korea and regulatory body backing. South Korea has a wide range of traditional cuisines which has led to the public accepting insect protein widely for human consumption. Furthermore, to date, the South Korean government has approved 10 different insect protein sources, resulting in more edible insect ingredients in bakery, confectionery, and meat substitute products.
The number of patent filings in the US are some ways behind filings in South Korea. This could be due to a combination of Western public perception hindering the marketing of insect-based products and stringent regulations for edible insect products.
Regulatory bodies will play a significant role in the rate of uptake in the West, though there is some progress. Insect-based products were added to the EU Novel Food Regulation in 2018, which introduced pre-market authorizations. In 2021 the European Food Safety Authority (ESFA) approved the first insect type for consumption and has since approved three further insect types. Furthermore, insect protein used in pig and poultry feed was also approved in 2021. These recent approvals have given companies in Europe access to a huge market in the food ingredient industry, which seems likely to boost innovation in this sector.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the arbiter of food items in the US. In the case of insect protein, the FDA has not been vocal, and a lack of substantive information means the guidance on insect protein for consumption in the US remains unclear.
Despite the on-going regulatory issues, the US and Europe are leading the development of international patent portfolios for insect protein. South Korea may have the highest number of filings in recent years by some distance, but the companies are focusing on their domestic market, while the US and European companies are taking a more global perspective.
Figure 2: Twenty-year trend: priority filings by jurisdiction – insect protein innovations
Figure 3: Twenty-year filing trend: by jurisdiction leading to international families – insect protein innovations
The number of unique assignees has steadily increased over the past two years as confidence in the market grows. The close to 1:1 ratio of unique assignees to applications filed indicates that the upsurge in global filings is due to a wide range of companies filing applications, rather than a few dominating entities.
Figure 4: Ten-year activity: priority filings and unique assignees by year – insect protein innovations
Types of application
Mechanical engineering and chemistry are the most common technology sectors for new filings. Within these statistics, food chemistry and handling machinery are the most popular fields.
Figure 5: Ten-year trend: classifications – insect protein innovations
Patent applications for insect protein commonly focus on:
- Methods of breeding, rearing, harvesting, and processing insects
- Apparatus such as vertical farms and incubators
- Genetic modification
- Compositions to aid in rearing, extraction and termination
- Type of insect e.g., mealworm, buffalo worm, etc.
- End products e.g., protein powders and ready-to-eat products
Notable companies
One of the global leaders in insect farming is French company, Ÿnsect, a leading innovator in insect processing technology. Their innovations include technology to produce Molitor and Buffalo mealworms in vertical farms, and the use of the protein products in agriculture, aquaculture, and pet consumption.
Unsurprisingly, Ÿnsect is capitalising on the legislation change in Europe and expanding into the human consumption market - recently acquiring Protifarm, a global leader in mealworm ingredients for human health applications.
Ÿnsect is also launching a new project, Ÿnfabre, the world’s first industrial genomic selection programme applied to mass insect farming for alternative food protein. The project will combine phenotyping tools and genotyping tools, mathematical models, and industrial processes, to select and multiply high-performing, resilient insect breeds. We can expect to see an influx of patent applications in this area to protect such developments.
Another high patent filing applicant is Protix. Based in the Netherlands, Protix is a multinational manufacturer and supplier of insect ingredients for animal feed and human consumption. The company operates the world's largest insect factory, located in Bergen op Zoom. In October 2017, Protix acquired Fair Insects, a company focused on breeding insects for human consumption. Protix has an international patent portfolio containing inventions including devices for use in large-scale industrial insect farming. These include a distribution system for an olfactory attractant that stimulates insect reproduction, an air conditioning system, an insect breeding device, and an insect transport device. Some of the more recent filings also relate to insect biomass compositions for animal feed and fertiliser, as well as use in crop protection. Recent innovations also include techniques for converting insects into nutrient streams, such as a fat fraction and a protein fraction.
Other members of the top five filers include Verily Life Sciences, an independent subsidiary of Alphabet Inc, and the Rural Development Administration of South Korea (RDA), an agriculture organization in South Korea, run under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Outside of the top five, other notable companies include Aspire Food Group and Innovafeed.
Aspire operates in cricket farming, serving markets for human consumption, animals, and plants. It has an R&D facility in Austin, Texas and is currently building the world’s largest cricket farm in London, Ontario. The company’s innovations include cultivation and harvesting systems relating to the logistics of delivering water and food, as well as separating waste, live insects, and dead insects.
Innovafeed, a French biotechnology company founded in 2016, is developing insect-breeding and processing technology. The company sells ingredients derived from insects for animal nutrition and, in particular, aquaculture, with four new filings in 2020 for insect-based feed for the latter.
Figure 6: Ten-year trend: top five filers – insect protein innovations
Implications for innovation and future patent filings
Although still in its infancy, manufacturers are starting to increase investment as competition for market share and intellectual property positions heats up. The pressure, not least from third party investors, is to show that insect protein is viable to compete on the wider market, not simply in niche areas.
The mass market use of this technology may seem far off, partly because of considerable challenges in consumer perception and regulatory approval. However, there are signs that regulatory agencies are beginning to accept processed insect protein as a viable protein source for consumption. This should boost confidence and viability and attract further investment in innovation in this sector.
In the medium term, a likely, ongoing challenge facing those operating in edible insect protein will be public perception. Accordingly, we expect to see an increase in developments toward more palatable products, with improved taste, appearance, and texture, as well as patents for different end products and imitation flavours.
Due to the infancy of the technology, we also expect to see an increase in innovation regarding the rearing of insects in a clean and sterile environment, in particular, innovation of industrial technology, such as the use of robotics, artificial intelligence and improved logistics for mass production.
It is going to be interesting to see how the technology develops over the next few years as the regulatory landscape and consumer appetite evolves.
Chris Mason Partner
Emily Bevan-Smith Trainee Patent Attorney