Black Soldier Fly bioconversion
Rearing the future of food waste management
MYGroup’s Black Soldier Fly (BSF) bioconversion capabilities are the future of sustainable food waste management and resource recovery. The company’s circular Insectology™ process harnesses a natural conversion mechanism to transform organic material into new, nutrient-rich byproducts – from proteins supporting current and future food systems, to materials ready for use in industry, all with zero emissions or waste to landfill.
Rethinking food waste, while redefining what we eat
An estimated 9.5 million tons of food waste is generated in the UK each year, of which only around 20% is recycled. Most of the rest ends up in the residual bin – and, ultimately, landfill – contributing to harmful methane emissions.
The UK Government’s ‘Simpler Recycling’ legislation has now mandated businesses – and soon local authorities for all households, by March 2026 – to implement segregated food waste collections. While this represents a step change, the established end-processes for recycling food waste, such as anaerobic digestion and composting, can be capital and energy intensive, as well as extracting limited value from the processed waste.
Current thinking prioritises disposal over true circular resource recovery.
Parallel to the challenge of food waste recycling and recovery, traditional systems for producing food itself are being put under increasing strain and scrutiny, whether from growing populations or environmental and health concerns about how food is produced and what we consume. This is driving demand for sustainable alternative sources of protein, both for animal and human diets.
75%
Insectology™ circular food waste transformation: From refuse to resource
MYGroup provides a circular solution at the intersection of food waste management, resource recovery and sustainable protein production: the Insectology process, which harnesses insect bioconversion using the larvae of the black soldier fly (BSF).
Bioconversion involves feeding food waste to rearing BSF larvae, reducing the volume of the organic matter while the larvae consume and metabolise the material. What is left are a series of sustainable, nutrient-rich byproducts ready for extraction, including:
Protein
Dry meal derived from the body mass of the larvae after it is de-fatted, dried and milled and a liquid hydrolysate produced from whole larvae, suitable for poultry, aquaculture and pet feeds.
Oil
Rich in lauric acid, from the fat reserves of larvae built up during feeding, with applications in feeds, biodiesel and cosmetics, due to its antimicrobial and emollient properties.
Chitin
A natural polymer in fibrous powder form, obtained from the shed exoskeleton of larvae, as well as pupal cases, with numerous properties and applications, from healthcare and pharma, to agriculture and even packaging.
Frass
A mix of insect excreta, shed exoskeleton and residual organic material rich in nitrogen and micronutrients, used as natural, sustainable fertiliser, a source of plant nutrition and use in animal feed.
Explained: MYGroup’s Insectology BSF bioconversion process
Feedstock collection & substrate production
We take in organic, protein-rich food waste from a wide range of producers and manufacturers, which is combined with brewer’s grain to form a unique substrate recipe for optimal, healthy and consistent BSF larval rearing.
Larval rearing
Eggs supplied under an exclusive joint venture with leading insect genetics company, Beta Bugs, are reared within the substrate in temperature and humidity controlled growing containers. Hatched larvae (neonates) mature and consume the substrate, growing significantly in size and mass.
Bioconversion
As the larvae consume and metabolise the substrate, it breaks down and dries, transforming into frass. The larvae also shed their exoskeletons, rich in chitin, during the bioconversion process up to 5-6 times during the growing cycle.
Byproduct harvesting
After 11–12 days, the larvae are euthanised. They are then processed through MYGroup’s own protein hydrolysis facility, where protease enzymes are used to break down long chain protein structure. After hydrolysis, the remaining liquid material is vacuum evaporated to remove moisture and then stabilised for production into feeds. Frass is sieved, dried and either pelletised or sold as loose fertiliser.
Why choose MYGroup’s Insectology BSF bioconversion process for food waste
Fully in-house process – from collection to transformation
True circularity through creation of high-value byproducts
No waste material to incineration or landfill
Recovery – not just disposal – with fast waste volume reduction
Zero emission process
Transparent reporting for EPR compliance, ESG & CSR initiatives
Driving the BSF value chain: from ‘edible insects’ to policy making
The company’s work with BSF also aligns with academic research and supports UK policy development. MYGroup has a strategic collaboration with Fera Science, the UK leader in agri-food science research. The company is also supporting a Government-funded research project initiated with the Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC) at the University of York to trial the production of biohydrogen, which uses frass produced by BSF conversion as a substrate.
MYGroup became a signatory to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP’s) UK Food and Drink Pact in 2024. The Pact takes collective action on building a sustainable circular food system, reducing food waste and cutting greenhouse gas emissions. BSF bioconversion is supportive of these objectives.
UK Government increasingly supportive of BSF innovation
Food Standards Agency recognises BSF among edible insects recognised as novel foods.
Defra has funded research into BSF-derived protein for improvements in welfare and sustainability in the poultry sector.
Case studies: BSF bioconversion
