WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.,
YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio and
IRVING, Texas, Feb. 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Intrexon
Corporation (NYSE: XON), a leader in synthetic biology, today
announced it has agreed to acquire the business
of EnviroFlight LLC and form a joint venture with Darling
Ingredients Inc. (NYSE: DAR), the world's largest publicly-traded
developer and producer of sustainable natural ingredients from
bio-nutrients. EnviroFlight has developed proprietary technologies
which enable the rearing of non-pathogenic black soldier fly (BSF)
larvae in an industrially scalable manner. This innovative and
responsible approach has considerable potential within the
$60 billion global animal feed
industry as it will provide an environmentally-friendly,
toxin-free, sustainable source of high-value nutrients.
"Current trends in human population growth drive increased
demand for protein supply in food production, and we believe that
BSF larvae provide the potential to revolutionize the animal feed
industries," commented Corey Huck,
Senior Vice President and Head of Intrexon's Food Sector. "Through
our partnership with Darling, the world's largest producer of
sustainable natural ingredients, we look forward to employing
EnviroFlight's platform to create high-nutrition, low environmental
impact animal and fish feed as well as fertilizer products."
EnviroFlight's scalable approach utilizing BSF larvae opens the
door to a plentiful source of high quality nutrients for the
aquaculture and livestock industries. Notably within the fish and
poultry markets, BSF larvae may be more representative of the
typical diet of these natural insectivores than soymeal and other
plant-based meal regimens. Additionally fishmeal and fish oil are
multi-billion dollar products critical to aquaculture's continued
growth, yet demand is outpacing the fairly inflexible supply for
these valuable feeds whose manufacture are heavily dependent on
wild-caught fish.
"Black Soldier Fly larvae meal may represent a very useful
ingredient in aquaculture and importantly it has no impact on the
marine ecosystem," stated Rick
Barrows, Ph.D., Research Physiologist for Agricultural
Research Service in the United
States Department of Agriculture. Dr. Barrows added,
"Starter diets for rainbow trout incorporating BSF larvae meal
resulted in an increase in feed consumption and growth, showing
high palatability suggesting it could be useful with some of the
more finicky species such as salmon and yellowtail.
Furthermore we have also found the essential nutrients in BSF
larvae meal to have high digestibility."
In addition to reducing the depletion of marine ecosystems and
decreasing dependence on non-sustainable protein sources,
EnviroFlight's insect-based approach offers significant potential
to recover the abundant food surpluses given its proficiency
converting organic materials into valuable proteins and oils. While
working with regulatory agencies to gain approvals for the use of
BSF larvae for food animals, EnviroFlight will continue to supply
select markets with high quality animal feed and all-natural
fertilizers.
"We are excited to enter this new collaboration with Intrexon, a
leader in bio-based solutions to global problems, and to further
enhance our broad bio-nutrient product portfolio continuing our
goal of providing nutritional, functional, and ecological
ingredients for animals," said Randall
Stuewe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Darling
Ingredients.
"EnviroFlight has focused on driving necessary change in the
global food supply chain, and we look forward to working with
Intrexon and Darling Ingredients to realize the considerable
promise of insect bioconversion to offer solutions that meet this
goal," said Glen Courtright,
President of EnviroFlight.
Since late 2014, EnviroFlight has collaborated with Darling
Ingredients to refine its scalable production processes for BSF
larvae and upgrade its pilot facility. With over 130 years of
experience, Darling is the foremost reclaimer and processor of
inexpensive bio-sustainable feedstocks, repurposing typically
inedible ingredients into usable specialty feed and food solutions.
Darling's operational expertise in this area combined with
EnviroFlight's innovative approach employing BSF larvae will be
leveraged to standardize processes for creating and optimizing
BSF-based feed. The joint venture intends to begin construction of
a commercial plant this year setting the foundation for future
global expansion.
About EnviroFlight
EnviroFlight is a leader in sustainable animal and plant
nutrition aiming to drive transformative change in the global food
supply. EnviroFlight's mission is to develop sustainable
animal and plant nutrients using regionally available, low-value
materials, emphasizing: production of nutrients in a socially
responsible way; eliminating toxins, hormones, and antibiotics from
our food supply; and reducing the environmental and financial costs
to our food supply.
About Darling
Darling Ingredients Inc. is the world's largest publicly-traded
developer and producer of sustainable natural ingredients from
edible and inedible bio-nutrients, creating a wide range of
ingredients and specialty products for customers in the
pharmaceutical, food, pet food, feed, technical, fuel, bioenergy,
and fertilizer industries. With operations on five
continents, the Company collects and transforms all aspects of
animal by-product streams into broadly used and specialty
ingredients, such as gelatin, edible fats, feed-grade fats, animal
proteins and meals, plasma, pet food ingredients, organic
fertilizers, yellow grease, fuel feedstocks, green energy, natural
casings and hides. The Company also recovers and converts
used cooking oil and commercial bakery residuals into valuable feed
and fuel ingredients. In addition, the Company provides
grease trap services to food service establishments, environmental
services to food processors and sells restaurant cooking oil
delivery and collection equipment. For additional information,
visit the Company's website at www.darlingii.com.
About Intrexon Corporation
Intrexon Corporation (NYSE: XON) is Powering the Bioindustrial
Revolution with Better DNA™ to create biologically-based
products that improve the quality of life and the health of the
planet. The Company's integrated technology suite provides
its partners across diverse markets with industrial-scale design
and development of complex biological systems delivering
unprecedented control, quality, function, and performance of living
cells. We call our synthetic biology approach Better
DNA®, and we invite you to discover more at www.dna.com
or follow us on Twitter at @Intrexon.
Trademarks
Intrexon, Better World through Better DNA™, Powering the
Bioindustrial Revolution with Better DNA, and Better DNA are
trademarks of Intrexon and/or its affiliates. Other names may be
trademarks of their respective owners.
Safe Harbor Statement
Some of the statements made in this press release are
forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements
are based upon our current expectations and projections about
future events and generally relate to our plans, objectives and
expectations for the development of our business. Although
management believes that the plans and objectives reflected in or
suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, all
forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and
actual future results may be materially different from the plans,
objectives and expectations expressed in this press release.
For more information contact:
Darling Ingredients:
Melissa
A. Gaither
VP Investor Relations and Global Communications
Tel: +1 (972) 717-0300
Email: mgaither@darlingii.com
Intrexon Corporation:
Corporate
Contact:
Marie Rossi,
Ph.D.
Senior Manager, Technical Communications
Tel: +1 (301) 556-9850
Email: publicrelations@intrexon.com
Investor Contact:
Christopher
Basta
Vice President, Investor Relations
Tel: +1 (561) 410-7052
Email: investors@intrexon.com
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SOURCE Intrexon Corporation; Darling Ingredients Inc.