Nasekomo, REINARTZ target commercial-scale BSF feed production

EUROPE – Bulgarian biotechnology company Nasekomo and German engineering company REINARTZ are combining automated black soldier fly (BSF) rearing with downstream processing to accelerate the commercial production of insect protein for animal feed markets.

The companies signed a partnership in February 2026 to support international deployment programmes, combining automated insect production with processing capabilities for protein meal and oil. 

The development reflects a broader shift in the insect-feed sector from pilot projects towards integrated systems designed to supply commercial feed volumes.

“Insect feed producers earn repeat contracts by proving feed-grade substrates deliver consistent nutrient profiles across scheduled batches,” said Nandini Roy Choudhury, Principal Consultant at Future Market Insights (FMI). 

“Expansion capital is justified once species approvals and signed feed programs can absorb additional meal and oil output.”

From automated rearing to commercial feed

The partnership connects automated insect rearing with downstream recovery of feed ingredients, addressing a key challenge in scaling insect production. 

Recurring feed contracts require consistent meal and oil specifications, not occasional pilot batches.

Nasekomo has been developing its production platform alongside these commercial efforts. 

Earlier this year, the company opened a €3.5 million (US$4.1 million) highly automated BSF reproduction facility in Bulgaria, designed to supply neonate larvae to industrial insect production facilities worldwide.

The Multiplication Center automates more than 80% of production operations and uses artificial intelligence-powered machine vision to analyse up to 7,000 neonate larvae per second. 

Nasekomo has also partnered with Phileo by Lesaffre to develop probiotics for insect farming, targeting nutrient conversion, production efficiency and biological resilience.

Aquaculture is emerging as an important market for BSF ingredients. 

FAO reported that aquaculture produced 103 million tonnes of aquatic animals in 2024, while Vietnam’s aquaculture output exceeded 5.98 million tonnes in 2025.

FMI projects the global Insect Protein for Animal Feed (BSF) Market will grow from USD 841.4 million in 2026 to USD 12,333.3 million by 2036, representing a 30.8% CAGR.

The United States and Vietnam are projected to record CAGRs of 31.1% and 30.7%, respectively, between 2026 and 2036. 

China follows at 28.9%, while the Netherlands and France are projected at 25.3% and 23.8%.

Black soldier fly is expected to remain the leading insect category, holding a 41.1% share in 2026. 

Protein meal is projected to account for 49.6% of product demand, while aquaculture is expected to represent 33.1% of livestock applications.

Economics remain key to scale

Production economics will remain central to wider adoption as insect ingredients compete with conventional protein sources.

Innovafeed reported in June 2026 that production costs at its Nestle facility had fallen to roughly one-seventh of their earlier level following three years of industrial scale-up.

Together, lower production costs, regulatory progress and recurring feed programmes could help move BSF ingredients from technical trials towards contracted commercial demand.

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