Utz was chosen by INVERS

Aline Tessier, Industrial Operations Manager, and Sébastien Crépieux, President of the INVERS Group, worked with the Utz France team for 2 years on this project.

A model that includes farmers

Since 2018, INVERS, located in Saint-Ignat (63), has been dedicated to helping territories produce their own insect proteins, in order to manufacture animal feed locally. Today, Europe imports over 70% of its protein requirements. These are derived from fish and soy, and lead to the depopulation of oceans and deforestation. To avoid these phenomena, INVERS replaces them with proteins from insects: mealworms. These worms are produced on specialized local farms with partner farmers. They are then returned to the factory and transformed into marketed food. Thanks to this model, INVERS ensures eco-responsible production that emits no waste, since farmers can use the worm excrement to fertilize their land.

Project study and realization

This is the culmination of a 2-year collaboration. Two sizes of 800x600mm food contact tubs were custom-built in two different heights. The strength of the Georg Utz Group lies in its ability to design products according to specific customer requirements. A total of 175,000 bins will be manufactured.

These bins contribute to an innovative process:

• a specially designed gripping system for two bins simultaneously
• a special stacking system to prevent stacking stacks from shifting up to a height of three meters.
• a space between stacked bins to guarantee the air flow required for larval rearing and growth.

Utz will also supply INVERS with 6,000 1200x800mm plastic pallets, which will be directly integrated into their supply chain. In addition to the cost savings compared with wooden pallets, plastic pallets enable INVERS to produce zero waste, since they are reinjected into the production loop.

Utz know-how

Since 1993, Utz has been manufacturing standard and customized plastic packaging solutions for all types of industries, including automotive, automated systems, electronics, pharmaceuticals, food and retail. Utz has developed numerous solutions for the food industry, including meat, poultry and cheese trays. All these products can be used in processes as well as in distribution.