KnipBio hails 'milestone' in quest for fishmeal replacement
US animal nutrition company KnipBio says it has developed a sustainable aquafeed containing as much total protein as high-grade fishmeal and equivalent levels of essential amino acids.
The new product, KBM324, is a single cell protein (SCP) derived from a strain of the bacteria Methylobacterium extorquens with up to 70 per cent crude protein plus powerful antioxidants.
Larry Feinberg, CEO of KnipBio, said: “KBM324 is an important milestone in the development of our SCP lineage and is a direct response to market needs. The aquaculture industry is looking for sustainable fishmeal replacements because it recognises future growth will require new premium proteins that do not compromise nutritional performance.
“Importantly, KBM324 is an excellent source of essential amino acids such as lysine and methionine as well as other immune-enhancing molecules. Preliminary feed trials suggest KBM324 can complement or substitute fishmeal and soybean meal in many aquaculture feed formulas.”
KBM324 has progressed through the pre-commercialisation stage, where the company determines it can be manufactured at scale. The next stage, planned for the second half of this year, is to move production to commercial-demonstration size fermentation vessels. The company is also planning additional feed trials targeting multiple finfish and crustacean species to demonstrate safety, efficacy and performance.
Feinberg said: “KBM324 demonstrates how our PROTEINplus biotechnology platform continues to evolve. To date we have created and characterized nearly 1,000 different microbial strains with the goal of providing the aquaculture industry a pipeline of feed ingredients targeted at different species and growth stages, including an SCP that contains even higher amounts of protein than fishmeal.”
