At biomega®, we have invested in lessening our company’s impact and putting the planet first. We do this by implementing innovative bioprocessing strategies that could ensure a bold, vital, healthy and sustainable food system through the upcycling of high-quality salmon rest-raw material.
Companies globally have an important role to play in ensuring a healthier and more sustainable world for its inhabitants. We believe that marine and aquaculture assets are an essential part of the food value chain and the key to lasting food security,1 and we remain committed to playing our part in transforming traditional agrifoods systems to embrace aquaculture assets.
Due to its strict aquaculture legislation and regulations through the Ministry of Trade, Industries and Fisheries, the Norwegian Seafood Council and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, the farmed salmon industry in Norway shows the most improved management of its sustainability factors year-on-year.
In addition, its objectives are in line with the goals set out in the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Blue Transformation2 project – aimed at developing value chains of aquatic foods by reducing loss and waste.
Using salmon rest-raw materials in our production of salmon peptides and oil for fish feed and farmed species (other than salmon), is one way to we can work to ensuring a circular food system. We believe that this is the way forward to offset nutritional deficits, fight hunger, impact positively on the environment and meet our aspirations in developing pet and human food supplements and products.
Aquatic foods are increasingly viewed as a unique opportunity when it comes to feeding the world, not only in the volume of production, but due to the incredible nutritional compounds found in these foods.3
To paraphrase, Manual Barange, Director of FAO, Fisheries and Aquaculture Division: When addressing climate change in the context of food security, we need to make sure that we adapt and implement long-term solutions. It is essential to guard against a ‘spiral of maladaptation4’ – merely focusing on short term solutions or coping mechanisms.
To ensure longevity and drive momentum in the sector requires a multi-faceted approach – from raw material suppliers, innovative technology at the processing stage, to how markets respond, and consumers view these products.
It also means that we are continually investigating opportunities for partnerships to ensure that all material from the aquaculture industry is used in a responsible and optimal way to support the wider industry move towards a circular economy. It is a fact that when we all work together, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, deliver less pollution into the oceans, improve the conditions of our ecosystem and enhance biodiversity.
biomega® has made significant strides in this regard – developing inbound logistics for raw materials, and we are currently investigating opportunities for using renewable energy and closed loop water systems in our facilities in Hirtshals. Our aim for 2023 is to conduct performance audits on at least 40% of our suppliers.
We are proud of the fact that, since 2017, we have made use of more than 240k Mt of valuable left-over salmon parts through accelerated biorefining based on the principle of continuous enzymatic hydrolysis through our Skaganeset bioprocessing facility. Our state-of-the-art facility in Hirtshals will seek to further support our circularity and quality nutrition goals.
As part of our bid to reduce, reuse and upcycle, the Hirtshals project received funding from the European Union’s LIFE Programme for Environment and Resource Efficiency under the name LIFE CONQUER*. You can learn more about our involvement in this project here.
At biomega®, we remain committed to delivering on our ambitious environmental goals on bio-waste reduction, energy reduction and water efficiency well into the future. We are passionate about quality nutrition and will remain focused on producing high quality solutions that work at scale, delivering on our promise to make a positive impact on the world and drive the transition to a sustainable and healthy food system.
To learn more about our circularity goals, download our ESG report now, or if you require any additional information, please contact our team now.
*Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
References:
1,3,4,5 World Oceans Day must be Humans Day: FAO Fisheries chief
