The global leader in insect ingredients Innovafeed and the major aquaculture feed producer and farmer NaturAlleva announced recently the signing of a commercial partnership for the integration of Black Soldier Fly (BSFL) ingredients into aquafeed formulations for key Mediterranean species, including sea bass, sea bream, sturgeon and trout. This partnership marks a new milestone in the large-scale commercial deployment of insect-based ingredients in aquaculture, moving beyond pilot projects and trials toward industrial and market-driven adoption.
According to them, the agreement reflects a shared ambition to accelerate the transition of insect ingredients from scientific proof points to real-world application in aquaculture production systems.
“This partnership marks a key step in positioning insect-based ingredients in aquaculture as true functional components. It clearly demonstrates that our BSFL ingredients go beyond basic nutrition: they are performance-driven solutions, ready to support improved health, robustness, and resilience across a wide range of aquaculture species,” said Clément Ray, CEO and Co-founder of Innovafeed.
Beyond its commercial dimension, they assure this partnership is built for scale and innovation. Starting in January 2026, NaturAlleva will deploy Innovafeed’s BSFL ingredients at meaningful commercial volumes across its Sea Bass and Sea Bream feed formulations, while both companies will jointly invest in R&D to further investigate additional functional properties of insect-based ingredients, with a particular focus on chitin-related benefits in other aquaculture species.
Measurable Benefits
Backed by years of R&D and support from the academic community, Innovafeed’s BSFL ingredients, containing functional compounds such as chitin, lauric acid and Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs), have demonstrated measurable benefits as premium aquafeed ingredients.
These benefits are supported by more than a decade of R&D trials conducted by NaturAlleva and several years of successful commercial use of Innovafeed’s ingredients, with accumulated data on performance and health outcomes leading to the decision to deploy them at scale across all Sea Bass and Sea Bream feed formulations, including supporting a healthy gut microbiota; enhancing robustness and stress resilience of aquatic species; and contributing positively to overall zootechnical performance.
The collaboration also underscores the role of insect ingredients as functional, performance-driven components in aquaculture feed formulations. Innovafeed’s BSF is positioned not as an “alternative” ingredient, but as a complementary functional solution within existing aquafeed formulations, supporting both: animal performance, health and well-being, and the aquaculture sector’s long-term sustainability objectives.
Mediterranean Species
The partnership focuses on Mediterranean species that are central to the region’s aquaculture production, reinforcing the relevance of insect ingredients for mainstream markets.
The partnership will be deployed progressively across the Mediterranean region, reflecting a shared commitment to industrial scalability, supply reliability and operational excellence.
New Phase of Commercial Maturity
By combining Innovafeed’s industrial-scale insect ingredient production with NaturAlleva’s aquaculture expertise, the collaboration illustrates how insect-based nutrition is entering a new phase of commercial maturity.
“Our collaboration with Innovafeed supports the integration of scientifically validated functional ingredients into our feeding strategies, reinforcing our commitment to innovation while promoting optimal fish performance and health,” commented Ugo Biasin, CEO of NaturAlleva.
For his part, Fabio Brambilla, Fish Nutritionist at NaturAlleva, said: “I am extremely enthusiastic about the application of insect meals in fish feed formulations. After many years of studying the benefits of this raw material in fish nutrition, we have identified the ideal partner to initiate its use and to continue research on this innovative ingredient and its co-products. We believe that insect meals represent one of the key solutions for a more sustainable and efficient aquaculture.”
“Joining this initiative alongside such an innovative partner as NaturAlleva is a great opportunity. We look forward to demonstrating the full potential of Innovafeed ingredients, providing Mediterranean fish farmers with highly innovative solutions to optimize fish health, performance and sustainability,” ended Elodie Petit, Animal Nutrition Sales Director at Innovafeed.
