Biomega Group (‘biomega Ⓡ ‘), a leading European biosciences company specializing in high-quality ingredients for the health and nutrition markets, has shared insight on the future of sustainability, including the rising imperative for ‘zero waste’ solutions.
The business, which uses leading-edge biotechnology to transform salmon parts into premium ingredients for food and pet food manufacturers, believes innovation in upcycling, including its own technology, signposts the future of responsible and sustainable health and nutrition product development.
Now, biomega has shared its unique insight and perspective into how zero waste principles are evolving within the industry in response to changing consumer demands and legislation.
Stig Victor Petersen, CEO at biomega, commented: “For decades, high quality raw materials from the marine sector have delivered ingredients for feed and pet food next to human food, health and nutrition. We’re at a real turning point in driving the key issue of sustainability, where a larger portion of these raw materials can be made available for human health and nutrition. What is meant to be food must be utilized for food where possible and thereby sustainability, in the context of the health and nutrition sector, is certainly no exception. Innovation in process design and manufacturing is at an all-time high and the consumer is more engaged than ever before. It’s clear that logical and robust circular economies are the way forward, both commercially and for protecting the future of the sector.
“Crucially for brands and product developers, as global consumers get savvier, the umbrella term ‘sustainability’ does not hold the same commercial weight. Consumers want demonstrable proof and action. There’s a marked move towards building a stronger circular economy, removing waste from the equation. This covers areas such as manufacturing and logistics, but innovation can also be found in ingredient sourcing and production too. It’s likely that over the coming year, we will see massive acceleration in technology that directly addresses circular economy principles. ”
Alongside championing zero-waste operations, biomega will increase focus on energy reduction in its operation. The business has invested in world-class biorefineries that underpin the ambitious global growth plan of the business, while increasing efficiency and making more effective use of energy.
Petersen concluded: “We’re proud to be well positioned regarding sustainability at biomega. Reducing the environmental burden of business has been crucial to our activities and we’ve been in the fortunate position of leading by example. For instance, our business is actively working towards ASC certification, as a testament to our responsible operations.
“When we talk about a circular economy in the health and nutrition industry, what we do is a great example of how this can work in practice – it’s essentially upcycling on a larger and more impactful scale and is fully aligned with UN Sustainable Development goals. Through our patented and continuous enzymatic hydrolysis process, which makes use of salmon parts for human health and nutrition, pet food and feed, we optimise the usage of high-quality raw materials and resources for production. This process converts the salmon oil and proteins into important nutritional components to make them suitable for human consumption, while a reduced volume is made available for premium pet foods.
«It’s a simple way for brands and product developers to make ingredient selection contribute towards corporate sustainability goals and connect with today’s engaged, proactive and educated consumer.»