Back in 2017, Jérémy Defrize had already spent over a decade working in the then-emerging field of insect farming. That’s when he decided to take things a step further. Alongside his lifelong friend and and fellow football fan, Thomas Dormigny, he began shaping a new entrepreneurial venture. Between games and during half-time at their favourite matches, casual discussions turned into strong convictions.
An idea emerged: to invest their energy and expertise into a project that would be innovative, useful, and sustainable.
With a PhD in physiology, Jérémy Defrize began studying a surprising property of Tenebrio molitor, more commonly known as the yellow mealworm. This edible insect, consumed for centuries in parts of Asia and South America, shares an unusual biological feature with humans: the ability to naturally produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.
A fascinating discovery. By simply exposing the insect to light, it becomes a source of natural vitamin D3, without chemical intervention or heavy processing. That realisation changed everything.
In a market dominated by D3 derived from lanolin (sheep wool fat) and synthetic sources, mainly from Asia, the two co-founders saw an opportunity: a natural, sustainable, and high-performing alternative.
From idea to innovation
That discovery marked the start of several years of research, testing, sleepless nights, and resilience. Today, Nutriearth holds over 60 patents worldwide and has developed a unique and efficient process to produce this natural, sustainable form of vitamin D3.
Vitamin D is far more than a wellness trend. It plays a vital role in bone health, immune function, and the prevention of many diseases. Yet, 88% of the global population will experience either deficiency or insufficiency at some point in time. The most vulnerable, young children, the elderly, are also those who need the safest, most effective and accessible forms of vitamin D.
Compared to conventional lanolin-based solutions, Nutriearth’s D3, sourced from Tenebrio molitor, offers three times better absorption in the human body, confirming its efficacy.
Two formats, one mission
Today, Nutriearth offers two distinct ingredients for the food and nutraceutical industries:
- N-utra, a vitamin D3-enriched flour ideal for use in everyday food products such as breads, brioches, compotes, biscuits, etc.
- Nutra-oil, a concentrated D3 oil for nutraceutical or low-dose food applications.
Designing a new kind of nutraceutical production site
To bring its innovative ingredients to market, the Nutriearth team needed to move from pilot to full-scale production — a major leap that demanded additional expertise. That’s when Marina Abarquero, a talented young engineer, joined the company with a clear mission: to transform this vision into a fully functional, high-standard production facility.
“When I started working at Nutriearth, I had no idea that the next three years would be so demanding: a race against time to set up two production lines meeting all quality and safety requirements. The ability to rapidly modify the project to adapt to changes was the most motivating part. Would I do it again if I had the chance? Absolutely,” said Marina Abarquero, Industrialization Manager at Nutriearth.
As the project grew, one thing became clear: producing an essential vitamin required the highest levels of safety and control. Nutriearth therefore designed its facility using pharmaceutical industry standards as a model.
While sharing common infrastructure, the two product formats required two physically separated production lines to prevent cross-contamination. Nutriearth designed its site using a layout based on cleanroom principles:
- Controlled overpressure and temperature: Each room is maintained under positive pressure, ensuring that when a door opens, air flows outwards, preventing contaminated air from entering.
- Ultra-filtered air: H14 filters retain 99.97% of particles ≥ 0.3 microns, ensuring exceptional air quality.
- High air renewal rate: Air is refreshed 20 times per hour to maintain a stable and clean environment.
- Secure entry locks: Access is managed through non-simultaneous interlocking doors, preserving zone integrity.
- Hermetic partitions: These reinforce separation between zones, enhancing isolation.
- Filtered compressed air: the air used for equipment and cleaning is also filtered with a 0.01 µm submicron filter.
Particular attention was also paid to transparency. Though production zones are tightly controlled, each room includes viewing panels that allow visitors to observe operations without compromising sanitary safety.
Some technical constraints even inspired bold design choices, such as extra ceiling height in the oil production unit to simplify maintenance on the lighting system.
And what’s truly remarkable? Everything is under one roof.
The production rooms are located on the same site as the company’s offices, making daily operations incredibly agile. From R&D to quality control to production, everything (and everyone) is within reach. It’s not just practical, it’s powerful.
Built with care, driven by conviction
As with many start-ups, speed was essential. Equipment procurement, facility design, hiring, and testing all happened in parallel, with calculated but firm risk management.
Sometimes, good fortune lends a hand. Upon moving into its new building, the team discovered that their next-door neighbor was Dagard, a specialist in controlled environments. An unexpected but valuable proximity that accelerated the site’s rollout.
What’s next?
Nutriearth’s production is now fully operational. The next milestone? Achieving ISO 22000 certification by the end of 2025, proof of the company’s commitment to the highest food safety standards.
Now entirely focused on commercial growth, Nutriearth targets the food and nutraceutical sectors—and perhaps cosmetics tomorrow.
Its ambition remains unchanged: to offer a natural, sustainable, and effective vitamin D3 that supports both human health and our planet.
