Fish oil alternative achieving market recognition

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Fish oil alternative achieving market recognition

18 May 2020
News
AlgaPrime DHA, the omega-3-rich algae feed ingredient, has been given an honourable mention in the food category of Fast Company's 2020 World Changing Ideas Awards.
The ingredient was developed by Corbion as an alternative to the use of fish oil in aquaculture feeds – a critical nutrient which is the main source of the important long chain omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. As fish farming continues to grow, fish oil supplies are not expected to keep up with this growth.

Recognising this looming resource constraint, scientists at Corbion turned to the original source of long chain omega-3s – marine microalgae. AlgaPrime DHA – which contains approximately three times the level of DHA of fish oil – is sustainably produced through fermentation with a production system powered by renewable energy.

Due to Corbion's scale of production this new source of long chain omega-3s has become economically affordable for farmed salmon – the major consumer of long chain omega-3s. This allows farmers to meet the growing demand for salmon and increase omega-3 levels in fish, without putting more pressure on marine fisheries.

"Aquaculture is becoming an increasingly important contributor to the global food system. To meet the continuing growth in demand for fish oil and fish meal, sustainable alternatives are needed," says Dr Piers Hart, seafood and aquaculture specialist at World Wildlife Fund UK. "The adoption of algae omega-3s in salmon feed has been a breakthrough for aquaculture and reduces the pressure on forage fisheries and the ocean environment."