Intrexon and Darling to Build Commercial-scale Production of Insect-Based Advanced Feed Ingredients

DAVIS, Calif. and IRVING, Texas and YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio, May 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Intrexon Corporation XON, a leader in the engineering and industrialization of biology to improve the quality of life and health of the planet, and Darling Ingredients Inc. DAR, the world's largest publicly-traded developer and producer of sustainable natural ingredients from bio-nutrients, today announced their joint venture EnviroFlight, LLC plans to significantly expand production of advanced ingredients for sustainable feed and nutrition derived from black soldier fly (BSF) larvae through the largest commercial-scale BSF larvae production facility in the United States.

Construction of the new plant employing EnviroFlight's modular and scalable system will begin in May, supporting development of sustainable high-nutrition BSF ingredients for the $60 billion global animal feed industry.  Initial production capacity is expected in the first quarter of 2018, and will be targeted toward supplying livestock, aquaculture, and pet food markets.   

"Leveraging more than eight years of applied research and development, the new facility will employ our industrial BSF platform and opens the door to a sustainable source of high quality nutrients for the aquaculture, livestock, and specialty pet feed industries," said Glen Courtright, President and Founder of EnviroFlight.  

Randall Stuewe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Darling Ingredients stated, "EnviroFlight's BSF larvae represent an innovative approach to address challenges within the global food supply chain by providing environmentally friendly, nutritious ingredients for animal feed.  This new facility will allow us to produce BSF at commercial volume and sets the foundation for potential future global expansion."

EnviroFlight's insect-based approach offers significant potential to convert nutrients from abundant food surpluses and renewable energy co-products into valuable proteins, oils, and fertilizers.  Additionally from an ecological perspective it also allows for decreasing dependence on non-sustainable protein sources for animal feed.  Within the fish and poultry markets, BSF larvae also represent a more typical diet for these natural insectivores as compared to soy and other plant-based meals, making them an ideal candidate for nutritive feed ingredients.

John McLean, Chief Commercial Officer of Intrexon's Food Sector added, "EnviroFlight's proprietary technologies for high quality insect protein production can help meet the growing demand for sustainable, eco-friendly, protein-rich ingredients; particularly in aquaculture where fishmeal is largely reliant on wild caught fish.  As we continue to advance our BSF larvae rearing and bioconversion technology, we look forward to forging a new frontier in protein supply and feed sustainability."

About Intrexon Corporation

Intrexon Corporation 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, on Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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 customized specialty solutions 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 useable 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 http://www.darlingii.com.

About EnviroFlight

EnviroFlight, LLC, a joint venture between Intrexon Corporation XON and Darling Ingredients Inc. DAR, 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. 

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.

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SOURCE Intrexon Corporation; Darling Ingredients, Inc.