A more profitable use for fish waste

Posted On: December 6, 2011

The majority of fish waste is turned into fishmeal or fish oil. But what if there was a way for processors to earn three to four times more money from selling their fish waste?

Gurry Investments, a Boston-based investment firm established in 2000, is using its technology to produce organic fertilizer using waste from farmed fish. The company, working with fertilizer producer Multi Bloom and Mega Green, which is owned by Consolidated Catfish of Isola, Miss., uses a hydrolysis process. The skin and bones are removed from filleted fish, leaving the protein. The offal is ground into a slurry form, processed and separated in a three-stage centrifuge. The result is a product with 10 percent high quality fish oil and 4 percent sediment, which is used as ground cover, hydrolysate or organic fertilizer.

According to Carl Reetz, president of Gurry Investments, using fish waste for organic fertilizer instead of fishmeal or fish oil can benefit both processors and the seafood industry as a whole.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: Aquapreneur, biomaterials, bioprocessing, fish meal, fish oil, fish protein hydrolysate, fish protein isolate, functional ingredients, Gurry Investments, marine ingredients, seafood byproducts, sustainable • No Comments

Marine biotech in Norway continues to make waves

Posted On: December 6, 2011

Some 30 million NOK are to be made available for new initiatives alongside continuing support for established programmes such as MABIT and Marbank.

The Norwegian government acknowledged awareness of the importance of marine biotech to the economy by allocating dedicated funds within the new budget in October. Some 30 million NOK (3,84 million EUR) are to be made available for new initiatives alongside continuing support for established programmes such as MABIT and Marbank.

“We will have the first call for proposals from the new biotech program (BIOTEK2021) in February says special adviser Steinar Bergseth, who has long championed the sector.” Also I am pleased to say that internationally Norway is taking a lead in this area – perhaps only naturally considering our marine traditions and the length of our coastline.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: Aquapreneur, biomaterials, BIOTEK2021, fish oil, Innovation Norway, MABIT, Marbank, marine biotech cluster, marine enzymes, marine extract, marine ingredient, marine ingredients, marine natural product, Research Council of Norway, seafood byproducts • No Comments

NZ Biotech company Photonz successfully transfers omega-3 fermentation process to industrial scale Canadian pilot plant

Posted On: November 27, 2011

Biotech company Photonz Corporation has achieved a major milestone on the path to commercially manufacturing, by fermentation, the high-value omega-3 fatty acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). It has successfully transferred its strain and fermentation process, developed in Auckland, to a contract facility in Canada, which has then used that process to ferment material from algal biomass in a 7.5 tonne industrial scale reactor. This demonstrates the feasibility of commercial production of EPA from marine microalgae.

The Canadian facility has a battery of reactors and support utilities that enable it to operate multi-tonne scale fermentations under industrial conditions. During the project it produced sufficient biomass for Photonz to complete development of the downstream purification processes for its EPA product, also at pilot industrial scale.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: algae, Aquapreneur, bioprocessing, DHA, EPA, fermentation, fish oil, marine drugs, marine ingredients, microalgae, omega 3, Photonz Corporation • No Comments

GC Rieber Oils utilizes fish oil for biodiesel

Posted On: November 8, 2011

GC Rieber Oils currently possesses two plants in Kristiansund, Norway, where they refine fish oils into omega-3 oils. All processes in the refineries are driven by steam. Until recently, fuel oil from fossil fuel has been used in the steam boiler to create steam. GC Rieber Oils has found a more environmentally friendly replacement for the fuel oil.

When producing omega-3 concentrates, all omega-3-fatty acids are preserved. In fish oil there is also a rather large amount of saturated fat which from a nutritional point of view, is not interesting for further production. Using distillation, these saturated fats are being separated from the process. The waste of fatty acids can be used as biodiesel and replace today’s fuel oil. The Norwegian Climate and Pollution Agency has approved our replacement of fuel oil with self-produced biodiesel.

Biodiesel from fish oils is a renewable resource, and even though the emission of  CO2 will be the same, it will be CO2 neutral in the cycle considering the accounting/final statement of greenhouse gasses.

GC Rieber Oils is expecting a reduction of fuel oil of approximately 25% in 2011. Our target is  a 100% replacement of fuel oil.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: Aquapreneur, biofuel, biomaterials, fish oil, GC Rieber Oils, marine ingredients, omega 3, omega-3 fatty acids, sustainable • No Comments

Pharma Marine Launches Oceans Superior Omega-3 Ingredients

Posted On: October 14, 2011

Pharma Marine, manufacturer of high-quality, specialty omega-3 fatty acid ingredients, has introduced the Oceans omega-3 line. Oceans omega-3s combine an ecologically-focused sourcing strategy with cutting-edge processing technology to deliver best-in-class omega-3 ingredients. The raw materials used in Oceans are certified EU human food grade and utilizes several species (all Ph. Eur. monograph approved) in order to minimize the burden on any single marine resource.

In discussing the new Oceans line with Leif Gjendemsjø, founder and Managing Director of Pharma Marine, he explained, “Our goal with the Oceans line is to use the trimmings from seafood processing, which occurs before seafood reaches restaurants and stores. In the interest of sustainability, we believe that using these byproducts, which would have otherwise been wasted, is preferable to using targeted fish that are exclusively sourced for omega-3 production.”

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: Aquapreneur, DHA, EPA, fish oil, functional ingredients, marine biotechnology, omega 3, Pharma Marine, seafood byproducts • No Comments

Source-Omega Launches Algae DHA Brand CereNate™ a Mother’s Gift for Life

Posted On: October 14, 2011

Source-Omega, a leader in international algae oil omega-3 fatty acid supplements, finished product development and private labelling, today announced creation and launch of the CereNate™ DHA brand.

To assist with the launch, Source-Omega provides exclusive marketing and distribution rights under Source-Omega’s license and sole-source agreements to Novamed Singapore, starting January 1st 2012.

“CereNate is A Mother’s Gift For Life,” said Mr Tiang Sung Ann, Director of Sales and Marketing at Novamed. Singapore has a growing economy with clinics serving Halal preferred populations seeking vegetarian capsules for omega-3 oils. CereNate conforms to international standards to provide 300mg DHA for pregnant and nursing women. In Singapore, it will be the first DHA product made entirely from plant-based sources. Tiang and Novamed bring ten years of corporate experience serving the omega-3 markets in Singapore.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: algae, Aquapreneur, CereNate, DHA, EPA, fish oil, marine biotechnology, marine ingredients, microalgae, omega 3, seafood byproducts, Source-Omega • No Comments

Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Obtains New Patent Directed to Compositions of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Phospholipids Including Krill Oil

Posted On: October 6, 2011

Neptune Technologies and Bioressources Inc., announces that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) has granted Neptune a new patent covering omega-3 phospholipids comprising polyunsaturated fatty acids, one of the main bioactive ingredients in all recognized Krill Oils. The patent is granted for the U.S. market and is valid until 2025.

Neptune’s recently issued U.S. patent (U.S. No. 8,030,348) covers, regardless of the extraction process, novel omega-3 fatty acid phospholipid compositions suitable for human consumption, synthetic and/or natural, including compositions extracted from marine and aquatic biomasses. The 8,030,348 patent protects Neptune Krill Oil (NKO(R)) and also covers amongst others, oils and powders extracted from krill, containing marine phospholipids bonded to EPA and/or DHA, distributed and/or sold in the U.S. market.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: Aquapreneur, DHA, EPA, fish oil, krill oil, Neptune Technologies & Bioresources, omega 3 • No Comments

Global omega-3 market set for ongoing 15-20% growth: Report

Posted On: August 16, 2011

The 2010 global omega-3 market – just for foods and beverages and food supplements – is worth €5.57bn, according to a new report, with growth predicted of between 15-20%.

The omega-3 sector continues to expand, according to Packaged facts data.

Packaged Facts said the food, beverages and supplements figure, which excludes fish, represented a 17% rise on 2009.

“This sector continues to show strong growth, although annual growth rates are naturally moderating downward from the explosive gains seen in 2004 and 2005,” Packaged Facts observed.

In 2003, global sales of such products sat at €685m which jumped to €1.4bn in 2004 and then €2.4bn in 2005.

Although growth rates have slowed since those peak years, Packaged Facts said it was far from overcrowded or saturated and predicted annual growth of 15-20% through 2015.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: Aquapreneur, DHA, EPA, fish oil, functional ingredients, marine ingredients, omega 3 • No Comments

Paine & Partners to Acquire Scanbio of Norway

Posted On: July 8, 2011

Paine & Partners, LLC (“Paine & Partners”), a global private equity investment firm, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Scanbio Marine Group (“Scanbio”), a leading producer of fish protein concentrate, fish meal and fish oil from fresh and ensiled fish by-products from Scanbio AS, which is owned by Rolf Eide, Per Arne Eide, Nordic secondary direct fund Verdane Capital IV (“Verdane Capital Advisors”) and certain other shareholders.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2011.  Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Scanbio is headquartered in Trondheim, Norway, and its fish protein concentrate, fish meal and fish oil are produced from white and pelagic fish and salmon by-products and are primarily sold into the aquaculture fish feed, animal feed and bio-fuel markets.  Scanbio’s business addresses the growing global market demand for protein ingredients for animal feed sourced from the sustainable processing of fish by-products.

Following the Paine & Partners transaction, Carl Eide will assume the position of Chief Executive Officer of Scanbio.  Per Arne Eide will retire as Chief Executive Officer, but will remain involved with the company and will have a seat on the Scanbio Board of Directors.

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From Issue 15 • Categories: Tags: Aquapreneur, fish oil, fish protein, fish protein concentrate, fish protein hydrolysate, functional ingredients, marine biotechnology, marine ingredients, Paine & Partners, Scanbio, seafood byproducts • No Comments

Marine MUFAs may improve metabolic syndrome: Mouse study

Posted On: June 14, 2011

Long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids from fish sources may improve insulin sensitivity and reduce risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome, according to new research in mice.

The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, reports that blood plasma glucose, insulin, and lipid concentrations are enhanced, whilst insulin sensitivity is improved in mice fed a diet rich in marine derived long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs).

“This study demonstrates that fish-oil-derived MUFA ingestion reduces insulin resistance, as judged by the insulin tolerance test, and attenuates metabolic syndrome by improving hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperlipidemia,” wrote the study authors, led by Zhi-Hong Yang, from the Tokyo Innovation Center, Japan.

“Furthermore, intake of MUFA decreased obesity-induced inflammation by suppressing … inflammatory marker genes and arachidonic acid levels, thereby possibly, in turn, reducing insulin resistance in diet-induced obese mice,” they added.

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From Issue 14 • Categories: Tags: Aquapreneur, blood plasma glucose, DHA, EPA, fish oil, fish protein, functional ingredients, marine extract, marine ingredients, MUFA, Tokyo Innovation Center • No Comments

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