Investments in alternative-protein manufacturing companies have risen in recent years, as numerous start-ups sell plant-based proteins. Food Engineering Magazine spoke with a couple of automation suppliers to understand the role it plays in alternative protein production.
Aspire Food Group specializes in advanced insect agriculture, using technology to unleash the potential of raw materials from insects that provide better nutrition for people, pets and plants. With a focus on global food sustainability and a low environmental footprint, Aspire is building the first fully automated food-grade insect protein manufacturing facility with assistance from various partners. The building houses a vertical farm using Automated Storage and Retrieval technology as well as integrating IoT sensors, machine learning and artificial intelligence.
The goal? To create more food with a lot less resources. “The planet is growing, but shrinking in resources, and we can’t support global needs with the foods we have,” says Mohammed Ashour, CEO, Aspire Food Group, the world’s largest cricket production and processing facility.
In 2013, Ashour was going after a joint degree in medicine and an MBA at McGill University. He knew that the current food system is tough to scale up, as animals take up so much land, air, water and other resources.
Read the complete article at Food Engineering Magazine