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Arla Foods Ingredients has teamed up with European insect farm Enorm, aiming to significantly reduce food waste in the dairy sector. According to the EU Waste Framework Directive, converting food waste into biogas is less desirable than converting it into animal feed. Delactosed permeate (DLP) – a residual dairy stream generated in large volumes during lactose production – is currently used primarily as material for biogas production. Due to the composition of DLP, it has been historically difficult to use in traditional animal feed. Arla partnered up with Enorm to find a solution to this challenge and landed on the larvae of the black soldier fly. The larvae are used for both animal feed and as a sustainable source of protein for humans. Arla has been supplying Enorm with DLP, which has been used as a nutritious feed for the larvae. Now Enorm is opening a major new facility in Flemming, Denmark, and gearing up for full-scale production. As a result, the amount of DLP that Arla Foods Ingredients supplies to Enorm will increase substantially – to 15 truckloads a week from early 2024. When the new facility is up and running, it will be able to produce 100 tonnes of larvae daily – enough for more than 10,000 tonnes of insect meal. Sønke Møller, senior sales developer for Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “A commitment to circularity is at the heart of Arla Foods Ingredients’ business model. So we’re hugely excited to be partnering with Enorm as it works to revolutionise the provision of protein and create more sustainable food systems. This collaboration – which will see a by-stream previously classified as food waste transformed into something with potentially huge nutritional value – is a fantastic example of companies working together to make upcycling a reality.” Because its destination will be feed rather than biogas, the partnership will allow DLP to move up in the waste hierarchy. Arla Foods Ingredients estimates that the partnership will enable its Denmark protein facility to achieve a significant reduction in food waste.