Some researchers and protein production companies have been focused on replacing or extending supplies of fishmeal.
In Mexico and the US, researchers are focusing on the use of algae to replace fishmeal and soy protein concentrate aquafeeds.
Prairie AquaTech is a US-based, land-locked company that has received international recognition for developing an alternative protein feed ingredient for aquaculture that helps limit phosphorus excretion.
Massachusetts-based, KnipBio ,is generating a single-cell protein intended for use in aquaculture feeds. The company received a generally regarded as safe (GRAS) designation last year for its KnipBio meal to be used in feeds for salmonids and other finfish species.
White Dog Labs started supplying Cargill its fermentation-generated protein ingredient last year.
The protein innovation attracting venture capital investment and grabbing the headlines in recent years has been that focused on insect-generated meal. Black soldier flies and mealworm derived protein sources are increasingly seen as sustainable, alternative forms of protein for fish feed, and eventually, monogastric rations.
Ynsect, a French company focused on mealworm production, was named one of France’s most promising startups last year, making the country's prestigious NEXT40 index. It also received a massive injection of funds early in 2019.
In June 2019, Cargill and another French insect protein producer, InnovaFeed, entered into an alliance to jointly market fish feed that includes insect protein, a move the partners said will enable them to support the growth of sustainable aquaculture.
In Canada, BSF got approval from the regulatory authorities for it to be included in feed rations for salmonids, trout, tilapia and poultry. And, in the US, global insect producer AgriProtein is establishing a commercial-scale production site.
TerViva is assessing the use of pongamia trees to provide a protein feed ingredient for poultry and cattle. The company is developing a technology to remove a bitter taste from the bean produced by the tree, so the protein meal generated can be used in feed rations.
The tree is being considered for use in restorative agricultural areas as it can be planted on land previously used for agricultural production or where there may be environmental damage. The tree has a 25- to 30-year lifespan.
Last year UK start-up, Deep Branch Biotechnology, told us it had completed validation work on its technology that converts carbon dioxide into a single cell protein for use in fish and monogastric feed. The company, only founded in July 2018, reported in June last year that the first demonstration of its technology at a site of a commercial partner, in North Yorkshire, was getting underway.
Also in June 2019, SCP producer, Calysta, announced a US$30m investment from BP Ventures. The company said the funds would support a worldwide rollout of its microbial protein for fish and livestock feed as well as pet food, which is branded as FeedKind; the SCP is made via a patented natural-gas fermentation platform.
Last year, we also saw Danish SCP innovator, Unibio, partnering with Core Protein in an effort to locate a methane-to-protein production plant in Texas, in the US. The single-cell producer also reported that was working to establish a facility to generate feed protein in Saudi Arabia.
In Denmark, researchers have been seeking to replace common protein ingredients in swine feed like soybean meal with a clover grass-based protein ingredient.
Researchers in Norway are looking to trees to develop a new protein ingredient for piglets. Adding inactivated Cyberlindnera jadinii yeast – derived from sugar collected from Norwegian spruce trees – to feed could be a way to reduce the reliance on conventional protein sources.
Camelina may provide a partial alternative to soybean meal use in swine diets at low levels while promoting soil health as a winter cover crop, US researchers reported last year.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota, Minnesota Extension and the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) explored the potential for producers to raise the oilseed camelina to provide a cold-weather cover crop and feed ingredient for swine.
Protein rich co-products of pea gin production could be a substitute for soybean meal in dairy cattle feed, found a research team based across several universities in Wales, Scotland and Ireland as well as in a distillery.
Their project, which we reported on in July last year, is supported by the EU funded program, TRansition paths to sUstainable legume based systems in Europe (TRUE), run by the James Hutton Institute in Scotland.
The researchers carried out a life cycle assessment (LCA) comparing the environmental footprint of one liter of packaged gin produced from either 1.43kg of wheat grain or 2.42kg of peas via fermentation and distillation into neutral spirit.
Pea gin has a larger land footprint than wheat gin, depending on rotation effects, they found. However, the team argues that the supply of animal feed co-products and their use in livestock production could offset the carbon footprint of pea gin.
