Label Rouge, a French mark of food quality originally established in the 1960s that places stringent quality standards on producers aiming to secure the certification, greenlit insect-derived ingredients in its feed standards for farmed salmon.
Since that time, the entire value chain’s interest in the potential of insect-derived feed has taken off, according to Dongen, Netherlands-headquartered insect ingredients company Protix.
In 1992, Scottish salmon became the first fish, and first non-French product, to be awarded Label Rouge certification. In the three decades since Label Rouge-certified production has grown to represent around 12 percent, or 8,900 metric tons (MT), of Scotland’s salmon exports.
To bear the renowned mark, farmers must adhere to strict specifications that limit the types and amounts of ingredients they can use in their feed across the life cycle of their fish.
Label Rouge updated its specifications earlier this year, confirming salmon that had been raised on diets containing insect-derived ingredients could be sold under the label. Under the update salmon feed using insect-derived ingredients in both fishmeal and oils can be used during the freshwater and juvenile growth stages, as well as in feed doled out to adult fish.
Label Rouge’s approval was largely due to a collaboration between France’s National Institute for Origin and Quality (INAO) – the regulatory authority for Label Rouge; Boxmeer, Netherlands-based Landcatch – a Hendrix Genetics’ brand of products that supplies salmon ova, fry, parr, and smolts to customers worldwide; Scottish Quality Salmon, which acts as a management organization for Scotland's salmon producers and companies; and Protix.
According to Protix, the inclusion of insect-derived ingredients could help Scotland’s salmon industry become a leader in animal proteins with a low carbon footprint. The company said the majority of the carbon impact of the salmon-farming sector comes from feed production, which means Label Rouge’s decision should help the Scottish salmon industry achieve a lower carbon footprint thanks to insect-derived feeds lower carbon output – especially at a time when the industry is increasingly putting larger smolts out to sea.
Protix Business Development Manager Michel van Spankeren told SeafoodSource that when the four partners started their collaboration around five years ago, the aim was …
