To support the acceleration of its production and sales growth, which more than doubled in 2023, Innovafeed unveiled its new brand, Hilucia™, redesigning its offer around a complete range of high-quality ingredients for animal and plant nutrition with minimal environmental impact.
Hilucia™ embodies the combination of the upcycling capabilities of the Hermetia illucens larvae with the cutting-edge technology developed by Innovafeed's teams.
“Enhanced and expanded with two new products – protein for monogastrics and oil for aquafeeds – Hilucia™ range reaffirms Innovafeed's anchoring and leadership in its four main markets: pets (Hilucia™ for pets), livestock (Hilucia™ for monogastrics), aquaculture (Hilucia™ for aqua), and agriculture (Hilucia™ for plants),” said Elizaveta Le Floch, chief business officer of Innovafeed.
The culmination of several years of development
The Hilucia™ range is the result of an extensive effort made in recent years by Innovafeed's teams and is based on four fundamentals:
First is the strategic partnerships developed with major players in each industry such as Cargill for aquaculture (insect proteins), Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) for pet food (insect proteins and oils), and Hello Nature for agriculture (insect frass). These partnerships ensure that Innovafeed maintains a strong momentum across all markets, both in France and abroad.
The second fundamental is its commitment to minimizing the environmental impact of the company and its products. Accredited as a B Corp company in 2022, Innovafeed released its first Impact Report in January 2024. Since February 2024, the company has been a certified member of the Pet Sustainability Coalition in the pet segment.
The third is the nutritional expertise acquired through trials conducted at both laboratory and commercial scales. The Hilucia™ range is based on a deep understanding of the needs of each species. It is thus tailored based on in vivo studies to provide the best zootechnical performance possible. This is particularly the case in aquaculture, where Innovafeed is involved in the Millennial Salmon project among others, which includes eight leading organizations across the value chain and aims to bring to market the most sustainable farmed salmon in the world.
The last fundamental is the strict adherence to the most demanding quality standards. The recent acquisition of a Marketing Authorization (AMM) for its organic fertilizer in France is a recognition of Innovafeed's expertise and excellence, opening the opportunity to offer an innovative and effective solution in a broad market of 7 million tonnes (according to Unifa) with growing demand. This authorization complements an already ongoing deployment in several other European countries with our partner Hello Nature, a global specialist in organic fertilizers.
The combination of an insect and a unique production model
Hermetia illucens larvae transform low-value plant-based raw materials into high-quality nutrients with unparalleled efficiency: they use 1.5 kg of dry feed to produce 1 kg of body mass in just 15 days.
Leveraging these exceptional capabilities, Innovafeed has created a unique model of "industrial symbiosis" that maximizes the natural productivity of Hermetia illucens larvae. This model is based on the clustering of facilities with suppliers of the two main inputs required for insect rearing: agricultural co-products for larval feed and energy. The facilities are directly connected by pipelines, which significantly reduces environmental impact, transport needs, and production costs.
High-quality ingredients with low environmental impact
The ingredients of the Hilucia™ range aim to meet the growing demand for high-quality food products – it is estimated that global protein demand will increase by 40% by 2030 – while meeting sustainability requirements both in resource use and CO2 emissions.
Leveraging a deep understanding of the needs of each species, Innovafeed is working to provide nutritional solutions that offer the best possible zootechnical performance. For example, it has been shown that Hilucia™ Protein for Shrimps could significantly reduce mortality and increase performance in shrimp farming.
Furthermore, a life cycle analysis was conducted on the ingredients in the Hilucia™ range, and it was demonstrated that they generate at least 50% fewer carbon emissions compared to the most commonly used plant and animal proteins, oils, and fertilizers on the market, such as fishmeal, vegetable oils, poultry manure, etc., while also having a lower impact on biodiversity, land use, and water consumption.
With Hilucia™, Innovafeed creates a simple and identifiable brand that signifies quality and sustainability, responding to consumers' need for transparency. Innovafeed even offers customers the option to feature a Powered by Hilucia™ logo on their packaging.
