A B.C. company that feeds food waste to insects to produce pet food has received $6 million from the federal government for a new plant just north of Calgary.

Enterra Feed Corp. last year opened a 17,500-square-metre production facility, about the size of three football fields.

ItB次元官网网址檚 been producing insect-based feed ingredients out of the Rocky View plant for the pet food, poultry and wild bird markets in North America and Europe.

The insects are black soldier flies and the plant is able to recycle 130 tonnes of food waste per day and turn it into 10 tonnes of high-protein feed along with 10,000 to 15,000 tonnes of organic fertilizer.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 really quite disheartening how much of that food doesnB次元官网网址檛 make it to the plate,B次元官网网址� said Enterra president Keith Driver. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 really surprising how much of that product is out there and available.B次元官网网址�

The fly larvae are fed a mixture of food waste and agricultural byproducts B次元官网网址� primarily fruits and vegetables that come from food processors.

The insects can then be fed to poultry and fish as well as to cats, dogs and reptiles. A trial is underway to see if it will work in the pork sector as well.

B次元官网网址淏lack soldier flies are prolific breeders. They grow very quickly B次元官网网址� one million per cent of their body weight in just three weeks,B次元官网网址� said Driver.

B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e very docile to manage.B次元官网网址�

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The federal Agriculture Department says more than half B次元官网网址� roughly 35.5 million tonnes B次元官网网址� of CanadaB次元官网网址檚 food supply is lost or wasted annually and $49.5 billion of that waste is avoidable. In addition, eight per cent of all greenhouse gases worldwide are the result of food waste.

B次元官网网址淵ou have broken new ground as the first company in Canada to receive regulatory approval to produce animal feed ingredients using flies,B次元官网网址� said federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau.

B次元官网网址淪eeing it on such a scale, I think itB次元官网网址檚 interesting. IB次元官网网址檓 very open to all of these innovations that can feed animals but also feed the world.B次元官网网址�

Driver said Enterra plans to eventually open another plant in either Ontario or Quebec, but progress has been slowed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

B次元官网网址淥ur sources of feedstock tend to be in and around metropolitan regions.B次元官网网址�

Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press

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