Fish Oil Alternative Given “World-Changing” Status

AlgaPrime DHA, the omega-3-rich algae feed ingredient, has\r\nbeen given an honourable mention in the food category of Fast Company's 2020\r\nWorld Changing Ideas Awards.

The ingredient was developed by Corbion as an\r\nalternative to the use of fish oil in aquaculture feeds – a critical nutrient\r\nwhich is the main source of the important long chain omega-3 fatty acids, EPA\r\nand DHA. As fish farming continues to grow, fish oil supplies are not expected\r\nto keep up with this growth.
\r\n
\r\nRecognising this looming resource constraint, scientists at Corbion turned to\r\nthe original source of long chain omega-3s – marine microalgae. AlgaPrime DHA –\r\nwhich contains approximately three times the level of DHA of fish oil – is\r\nsustainably produced through fermentation with a production system powered by\r\nrenewable energy.
\r\n
\r\nDue to Corbion's scale of production this new source of long chain omega-3s has\r\nbecome economically affordable for farmed salmon – the major consumer of long\r\nchain omega-3s. This allows farmers to meet the growing demand for salmon and\r\nincrease omega-3 levels in fish, without putting more pressure on marine\r\nfisheries.
\r\n
\r\n"Aquaculture is becoming an increasingly important contributor to the\r\nglobal food system. To meet the continuing growth in demand for fish oil and\r\nfish meal, sustainable alternatives are needed," says Dr Piers Hart,\r\nseafood and aquaculture specialist at World Wildlife Fund UK. "The\r\nadoption of algae omega-3s in salmon feed has been a breakthrough for\r\naquaculture and reduces the pressure on forage fisheries and the ocean\r\nenvironment."
\r\n
\r\nThe honourable mention the the US business magazine's World Changing Ideas\r\nAwards is the latest in a series of milestones that acknowledges the demand for\r\nalgae-fed salmon among farmers, brands, retailers and consumers.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

"It can take years for the adoption of a novel\r\ningredient to gain critical mass, and a key aspect of AlgaPrime DHA's success\r\nhas come from our collaboration with salmon farmers and BioMar, the leading\r\ninnovator in aquaculture feed," said Chris Haacke, Corbion's global\r\naquaculture lead. "Adopting such a new ingredient took real courage and a\r\ngreat deal of effort to ensure success. Over the past year, we've seen a\r\ntipping point in adoption to meet the growing demand for more sustainable and\r\nnutritious seafood at every point in the supply chain."
\r\n
\r\nNow in its fourth year, the annual Fast Company World Changing Ideas\r\nAwards programme honours businesses, policies, projects and concepts that offer\r\ninnovative solutions to the biggest issues facing humanity including\r\ntransportation, education, food, politics, and technology. A panel of eminent\r\njudges selected winners, finalists and honourable mentions from a pool of more\r\nthan 3,000 entries from across the globe. All of the finalists are highlighted\r\nin the May/June issue of the magazine.

Source: The Fish Site