Ingredients from the sea

How can fish protein be optimally utilised to give manufacturers of human and pet food better ingredients for their products? The creation of Norwegian firm Hofseth Biocare in 2000 provides the answer to this question. “The right technology to make better quality protein from fish was not available at this point and the raw material control was insufficient. This was the starting point for heavy investment in research and new technology for Hofseth Biocare in 2000,” says Lucas Altepost of the sales and marketing department. “We have gone through a long journey, which reached its end for the present with the completion of the first plant and the launch of commercial production in August 2011.” Since then, the 20-strong workforce of the company has been manufacturing the following primary product fractions from enzymatic hydrolysis: marine lipids, soluble protein hydrolysate (SPH) and marine calcium. The SPH is generated from the water-soluble protein fraction of the enzymatic process. The final product contains 90 per cent protein and less than 1 per cent fat. According to the company, studies have clearly shown that fish protein hydrolysates (FPH) can play an important role in reducing obesity. Preliminary studies using an animal model indicate that FPH might increase fat oxidation, which can reduce the development of obesity. Health from fish “Compared to the composition of proteins frequently utilised in the food industry, such as soya and milk, FPH are particularly rich in the water-soluble B-vitamins. B-vitamins are essential in energy-consuming processes such as fat oxidation, both in animals and humans. Furthermore, FPH have a different amino acid composition from both soya and milk, which might be favourable with respect to fat metabolism,” says Altepost. The different feeding studies carried out also indicated that using fish hydrolysates for dogs and cats may have an immune-stimulating effect in pets, in addition to their nutritional value. This may clear up specific gut infections in young animals and support immune systems in geriatric pets. As well as proteins from the sea, Hofseth Biocare offers further products for the pet food industry with its salmon oil and marine calcium and minerals. Salmon oil contains the strong antioxidant astaxanthine among other things and retains other bioactive components that are normally removed during the production of refined omega-3 oils. “The traceability of Hofseth Biocare’s salmon oil, the controlled…