How did the research turn out? What were the findings? Researchers themselves report briefly on the research they have undertaken with funding support from the Formas Research Council.
Editor: Margaretha Nordahl
"Innovative methods for enhancing the value of byproducts and underutilised species from the Swedish fishing industry"
Ingrid Undeland (project leader)
Summary of results with list of publications from Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology
Email: undeland@chalmers.se
Proteins from fish and shellfish are an important resource which are by no means always used optimally. Only just over 50% of Swedish herring was directly used for consumption in 2008, the rest was used for the production of fishmeal and fish oil. Other underutilised raw materials are blue mussels and cod byproducts. If a higher proportion of the proteins in these raw materials were used directly as food, this would have not only a value enhancing effect but would also provide substantial environmental gains.
The objective of this project was to find whether the pH shift method can be used for isolating proteins from underutilised marine raw materials. The results show that the protein isolate is of good quality and may have great value as a food ingredient. Dioxins and PCB can be removed effectively, which means that raw materials that are otherwise classified as unfit for consumption can have an increased market value.
"Feeding of farmed fish using plant oils instead of fish oils – analysis of quality and ethics"
Jana Pickova (project leader)
Summary of results with list of publications from SLU.
Email: jana.pickova@lmv.slu.se
Farmed predatory fish such as salmon and trout are at present fed on fish based food. Fish oil is a very important ingredient and is also a product that is likely to be in short supply. There is therefore a search at present for alternative sources which can partly replace fish oil in the fodder. Examples of such food sources are microalgae, bacteria, fungi and plant oils. These bioactive substances are important for both the wellbeing of the fish and human health. Different substances from the plant kingdom and their ability to modify the lipid profile of the fish have therefore been tested.
"Optimisation of the nutrient balance in organic egg and chicken production"
Lotta Waldenstedt (project leader)
Summary of results with list of publications from SLU.
Email: lotta.waldenstedt@huv.slu.se
Mussels are healthy for chickens
Laying hens and broilers have a particular need of the amino acid methionine. Examples of the risks due to a shortage of this are feather pecking and cannibalism. Most feed raw materials have a methionine content that is low in relation to the needs of the animals. In conventional production this is solved by adding synthetic amino acids. The organic rules do not permit this, and breeders depend on feed raw materials with a high methionine content. This may become a serious problem when the requirement concerning organic raw materials that have 100% approval comes into force in 2012. Until then it is permissible to use 5% conventional raw materials from agriculture. It is also permissible to use fishmeal as a methionine-rich source, but it is generally considered that the fish stocks of the oceans should be reserved for human consumption except in the case of offal. There appears to be no viable solution.
One potential source of proteins of high methionine content is blue mussels. The protein and methionine content is comparable to that of fishmeal. Mussel farms have in addition a favourable effect on coastal environments owing to the unique ability of mussels to filter water and accumulate nutrients. Large quantities of the nitrogen and phosphorus which have their origin in leachate from farms near the coast can be returned through mussel farming.
The objective of the project was to study new feed raw materials with the potential to be of interest for organic poultry production. The results show that mussel meal functions very well as a protein feed and is comparable to fishmeal for both laying hens and broilers. Possible effects due to mussel toxins must however be further investigated.
Responsible for this page: Birgitta Bruzelius