Algae-fed coho salmon hits shelves
A new brand of premium coho salmon fed with Alga-Prime DHA – an algae-based ingredient which reduces the need to include fish oil in feed to maintain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids – has been launched by Chilean producer Ventisqueros.
A statement from the company said: “Silverside Premium Pacific Salmon addresses the issue of finding a new, sustainable way to grow salmon. It is an exceptionally sustainable farming salmon with great colour and excellent flavour. It is fully traceable and grown in compliance with the strictest certifications for an ethical and sustainable aquaculture.”
A sustainable source of marine-origin Omega-3 like AlgaPrime DHA reduces the Forage Fish Dependency Ratio (FFDR) – which measures how many kilograms of wild-caught fish are needed to produce one kilo of farmed salmon – to 0.5 kg in the salmon industry and will now be applied to the Silverside product from Ventisqueros. The current industry average FFDR is 1.3kg.
New trends
“By achieving this figure, we have become the first ‘net fish producers’ in the salmon farming industry,” said Jose Luis Vial, chief executive of Ventisqueros.
Eduardo Hagedorn, general manager of BioMar Chile, said: “It is very exciting to see this type of development in the Chilean industry, in the sense of including new trends in sustainable products in the market, especially when we act as a catalyst for these initiatives.”
Currently TerraVia and Bunge produce the AlgaPrime DHA at their joint venture facilities at SB Renewable Oils in Brazil.
“The algae grow in closed fermentation tanks in a few days, delivering a consistent and good quality supply to customers,” said a BioMar spokesman.
Fully traceable
“AlgaPrime DHA is based on sugarcane feed and has a lower carbon footprint, uses less water and gives a higher yield per hectare than any other source of DHA produced from non-marine sources,” the fish feed producer added.
Manuel Cabezas, food and nutrition manager at Ventisqueros, said: “In the food chain, microalgae is an original source of Omega-3 fatty acids and can now be produced in an effective and highly sustainable way. The AlgaPrime DHA goes straight to the original source, thus providing a fully traceable and consistent Omega-3 source.”
Silverside has received certification from the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.
