Corbion, KnipBio score wins for their alternative aquafeeds

Corbion and KnipBio each secured positive developments recently in the advancement of the development and marketing of their alternative aquafeed ingredients.

Gorinchem, The Netherlands-based Corbion recently scored a contract to sell its AlgaPrime DHA, which is an algae-based source of long-chain omega-3s, to the Bergen, Norway-based Salmon Group, which represents 44 fish farmers collectively producing 12 percent of the total salmon raised in the Scandinavian country. The product will be supplied to Salmon Group via a custom feed supplied by BioMar, which Corbion has previously partnered with on feed contracts with Lerøy Seafood’s Aurora Salmon, Silverside Coho Salmon from Ventisqueros, and Blue Circle Salmon. AlgaPrime DHA is now a component in more than 500,000 tons of feed sold by BioMar in Norway.

 “The leadership shown by Salmon Group is impressive and we are thrilled to play a part in improving sustainable aquaculture across the globe,” Corbion Executive Vice President of Innovation Platforms Marc den Hartog said in a press release. “AlgaPrime DHA continues to be adopted and trusted by salmon farmers as they look to improve the omega-3 content and sustainability profile of their salmon."

Salmon Group has a goal of “reducing the overall environmental footprint of feed while maintaining feed quality, feed performance, and fish welfare,” according to Salmon Group CEO Anne-Kristine Øen.

“Salmon Group has been working systematically for several years to ensure more sustainable farming practices, and feed is a key element here,” Øen said. “Through BioMar’s innovation efforts, they have identified and sourced alternative ingredients, like AlgaPrime™ DHA, that help put our sustainability goals into practice, and meet retail and consumer demand for more responsibly raised seafood.” 

Salmon Group’s first farmed salmon fed on the new recipe are expected to reach the market by the end of 2019, Øen said.

Last week, Lowell, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based KnipBio announced the European Patent Office approved its use of methylotrophic bacteria to produce single-cell proteins for animal feeds. The company uses the process in creating its “Knipbio Meal” product, which combines immunonutrients with single-cell protein in order to create sustainable feedstocks for aquaculture.

“The technology development and patent protection process started several years ago and are pleased to have achieved these results,” KnipBio CEO Larry Feinberg said in a press release. “This award, coupled with our GRAS designation from the US Food and Drug Administration earlier this year, validates the emergence of viable alternative proteins to serve animal nutrition industries including alternative proteins for aquaculture.”

Feinber said the patented process allows KnipBio to create single-cell proteins with an amino acid profile similar to fishmeal, while also adding in other functional molecules such as prebiotics and carotenoids “that offer important benefits in aquafeed diets.” 

“For the past five years, we have been developing our PROTEINplus product platform around the technology covered by this patent and are gratified that the patent office recognizes the uniqueness and importance of this work,” Feinberg said. “Single-cell protein made from methylotrophs offer an outstanding option for meeting the protein needs of the aquaculture industry in the coming decades. The manufacturing process is highly scalable and the single-cell protein produced is traceable, an increasingly important benefit for the industry.”

Photo courtesy of Corbion