Starting from October 2018, Lingalaks, a Norwegian salmon farmer, has been feeding 50% of their salmon production a diet produced by Skretting which includes omega-3 EPA + DHA algal oil produced by Veramaris.
Feeding salmon with natural marine algal oil resonates strongly with the sustainability efforts of numerous retailers worldwide. German retail chain Kaufland is now the first to put the new salmon on the shelf.
“Omega-3 EPA + DHA from natural marine algae allows us to produce healthier and better salmon. It also gives us the unique opportunity to differentiate our company within a competitive market. Our courage to pioneer a new and more sustainable production method using algal oil resonated well with our philosophy. By being the early adopter of this new technology, we found partners along the seafood value chain who supported us in realising our vision of superior, sustainable salmon quality and finding new outlets for it”, says Lingalaks owner Erlend Haugarvoll.
Skretting has been focusing on implementation of novel raw materials for many years, and sees this as a very positive step for the industry. “As the only feed supplier in the world with the knowledge to produce 100% fish-free feeds, Skretting is very happy to support Lingalaks in taking this innovative step,” says Mads Martinsen, Director Product Development, Skretting Norway. “It’s not as simple as just substitution, and many years of research have allowed this breakthrough.”
Veramaris, a Dutch-based joint venture of DSM and Evonik, orchestrated the stakeholder dialogue of players along the value chain over the past few years, from feed producers, farmers, retailers to NGOs.
“Our omega-3 algal oil rich in both fatty acids EPA and DHA is a novel ingredient for better and more sustainable salmon farming, but sometimes it takes a lot of courage and the right mindset to take the first step to adopt a breakthrough innovation. We quickly realised that traditional marketing and sales approaches would likely be to no avail and we had to bring key stakeholders around one table. Only by collaborating were we able to make this change to current practice”, Veramaris CEO Karim Kurmaly says.
Consumer demand for healthy and sustainably fed salmon is rapidly increasing. German retailer Kaufland sees great potential in the collaboration with Lingalaks and Veramaris. The supermarket chain is pursuing a comprehensive corporate responsibility strategy of which the seafood portfolio, particularly salmon, is an integral element reflecting consumer demands.
“Our customers have high demands on quality and competence of the assortment. The algal oil-fed salmon is an innovative and high-quality product that lives up to our customers’ high demands for good taste and healthy nutrition, and that meets the increasing sense of responsibility for conscious consumption of resources. We are convinced that this cooperation is a forward-looking decision ", says Andreas Schopper, Head of Purchasing at Kaufland.
As a first mover, Kaufland has been supporting this trend-setting development right from the start. As of 2019, Kaufland will be offering Lingalaks’ high-quality salmon exclusively in its German branches.
Skretting has been focusing on independence from any single raw materials for many years. Read more about some of our activities in the related stories below.
Skretting has committed to volume from Protix that could see up to 5.5 million servings of salmon brought to market per year containing insect meal
