Commissioning and start-up activities have commenced at the world’s first industrial-scale FeedKind? facility, to produce a new sustainable functional protein that does not use animal or plant ingredients in its production.

Calysseo, a joint venture between worldwide animal nutrition leader Adisseo and protein innovator Calysta, will produce 20,000 tonnes of FeedKind? Aqua protein annually from the facility in Chongqing, China.

The microbial protein is produced via a natural fermentation that does not use arable land, animal or plant ingredients, and uses very little water in its production. Initially, the entire production will be available for exclusive use in China.

Whilst operating under the COVID-19 restrictions, the Calysseo team maintained the schedule of this landmark facility, meaning FeedKind? should be delivered to the first customers in China this year.

Jean-Marc Dublanc, CEO of Adisseo, said: “This is a significant milestone as we move towards more sustainable forms of making food. Calysseo and FeedKind offer a world first, a newly available sustainable, nutritious, non-GMO protein that offers significant health benefits over other feed ingredients, such as improved gut health and improved immune response. We have a long-running commitment to improving the security and sustainability of the feed ingredient market and Calysseo fulfils a significant part of that pledge. We will provide Chinese customers with a reliable, domestically available supply of protein that meets their specific needs; produced in China for China. We are looking forward to working with our customers as they begin to integrate this product into their supply chains.”

FeedKind? is part of a family of ingredients developed by Calysta, which harness the power of a naturally occurring microorganism that consumes low cost, land free carbon sources, converting it into a non-GMO, nutritionally rich protein, ideal for food and feed applications.

Alan Shaw Ph. D, the co-founder, CEO and President of Calysta said: “Cellular agriculture, where protein is grown in a controlled environment, is key to helping the world meet its future food needs. Today will go down in history as a hugely significant moment in the development and delivery of new, sustainable sources of protein to meet growing, global demand.For Calysta, this is the result of years of work to develop a protein without limits – one that meets our growing demand for protein while protecting biodiversity. We are proud to celebrate this milestone with our partner Adisseo.For the first time, producers and farmers in China will have the option of using a protein that doesn’t take from the ocean, that doesn’t take from the land – yet delivers all the quality and nutrition demanded by the aquaculture industry.”

The Calysseo plant has been built in the Changshou Economic and Technological Development Area (CETDA), Chongqing Province. The strategic partnership between Adisseo and Calysta will directly address one of the most important opportunities in aquaculture – to provide high quality seafood without adding extra pressure to the environment.

The global aquaculture market is experiencing strong growth and is expected to become the third largest animal protein source, accounting for more than 100 million tonnes of production. Meanwhile, the human population is set to grow to 10 billion by 2050, meaning an increased demand for proteins.

FeedKind? has been validated through extensive trials with leading Chinese academics at Ocean University of China and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, among others. FeedKind? has been successfully used for popular aquaculture species such as shrimp, largemouth bass, sea bass, and eel.

Guangdong Ocean University recently found distinct benefits for shrimp, saying FeedKind? promotes strong, healthy growth, whilst also helping activate shrimp’s immune response to Vibrio, the causative agent of Early Mortality Syndrome. It has also been proved by Jimei University and Feed Research Institute, CAAS that FeedKind? can effectively alleviate intestinal inflammation caused by plant protein in carnivorous fish.

The JV partners are now focusing on bringing the next phase of the development forward, bringing output to 80,000 tonnes per year. First material from Calysseo is expected at the turn of the year.

FeedKind? will help to reduce pressure on wild fisheries. If used instead of conventional sources of protein, 100,000 tonnes of FeedKind? could mean that between approx. 420,000 – 450,000 tonnes of wild caught fish could be saved. Used instead of vegetable proteins, the same quantity of FeedKind? could free up as much as 535 km2 of land and would save 9 billion litres of water.