A resident company of the “Skolkovo” innovation center, developing analogues of Russian Silicon Valley, has made a breakthrough in the field of food additives. As “Skolkovo” reports in its “Zen” channel, the black soldier fly first found application in baking. The experiment was carried out by the “Biolaboratory” company, which breeds flies at an enterprise in the Arkhangelsk region.

Low-fat protein derived from insects was added to bread flour. This made it possible to double the dough ripening process, as well as significantly increase the shelf life of the finished product. “If the loaf is not cut, it does not spoil or become stale within 5-7 days”, - “Skolkovo” emphasizes.

General Director of “Biolaboratory” Gennady Ivanov admits that the market for products containing insect protein has not yet been formed in Russia, and it is necessary to overcome psychological barriers among consumers.

“Getting used to the idea that this is normal and even useful should happen gradually”, - he notes. - When people feel the effect of this fly, they will notice that they get sick less often, they will be much calmer about insects in medicines and food products”.

In October 2023, the Russian government recognized black soldier fly farming as an agricultural industry. A year earlier, at the Innofood-2022 forum, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov said that Russians need to “change their mentality” towards alternative food products, and the authorities need to support their production. He urged citizens not to be biased and to try food, for example, made from fly larvae.