Corbion partners with chef Sammy Monsour to highlight algae-fed salmon

Dutch food ingredients company Corbion has partnered with Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.-based celebrity chef Sammy Monsour to educate consumers about how its research into algae-based aquaculture feed is paying off. 

Corbion debuted an educational video showcasing salmon that Chilean-based Ventisqueros – which sells in the U.S. via the BluGlacier brand –  raised using feed containing its AlgaPrime DHA during Seafood Expo North America 2019. The video followed Monsour as he toured Ventisqueros’s facilities in southern Chile to learn the process behind raising salmon to harvestable size. 

In addition to the video, Corbion and Monsour are having a chef demonstration and lunch in the demonstration theater 18 March at 12:30 p.m., which includes BioMar CEO Carlos Diaz. 

Corbion’s AlgaPrime™ DHA feed, which has been created to provide omega3 fatty acids previously only available via fishmeal sourced in wild-caught fisheries, is being used in BioMar aquaculture feed recipes and is a key part of getting Ventisqueros’s fish-in, fish-out ratio low. Ventisqueros’s new “Silverside” salmon line uses just half-a-kilogram of wild-caught fish to a kilogram of salmon, but still retains similar levels of omega3s to fish that use far more fishmeal.

“We are very proud of the results we have,” BluGlacier CEO Sebastian Guycoolea said during a sneak preview of the video before SENA19 kicked off. “The story here is, how do you tell this to the public?” 

The video was in part thanks to Monsour’s desire to see the process behind raising salmon in southern Chile after Corbion initially approached him to partner up on educating the public about the importance of reducing the amount of wild-caught fish being used in aquaculture operations. 

“I was like, I have to go see it if we’re going to do this,” Monsour said. 

Monsour got a full tour of the facilities, from hatchery to final processing, with a video showcasing his journey.

“I traveled 6,000 miles from my restaurant in Los Angeles to southern Chile to explore today’s most innovative solutions in aquaculture that are helping shape a more sustainable food system,” Monsour said. “What I learned on my journey is that not all farmed salmon are created equal – the water has to be clean, the fish have to be healthy, and what they eat really matters as it affects the quality and nutritional value of what arrives in my kitchen.”

The ultimate goal of Corbion, and Ventisqueros, is to reduce the amount of fishmeal used in aquaculture operations to create a more sustainable product that doesn’t need to rely on finite natural resources. As global food demands increase, products like farm-raised salmon can help offset pressures on natural fisheries. 

Educating consumers about the relationship between wild-caught fishmeal and the potential of algae-based feed is the motivating factor behind the new video. 

“With algae-fed salmon brands gaining distribution at U.S. retailers, we are excited to work with chef Sammy Monsour to start a dialogue with consumers and chefs about the impact of sustainably produced salmon,” Marc Den Hartog, executive vice president of innovation platforms at Corbion, said. “Just as Sammy wanted to learn more, we believe his journey provides a better understanding of the role of feed ingredients, such as AlgaPrime DHA, in raising healthy salmon that in turn are better for our health and the health of our planet.”