Pet Food Processing - September 2024 - 42

INGREDIENTS
Fermenting
microalgae
allows Corbion
to upcycle
byproducts from
the sugar industry
while creating a
sustainable source
of Omega 3 fatty
acids for pet food.
©Ekky-stock.adobe.com
alleviate this issue, van der Velden advocates for combining
fish oil with alternative sources of Omega 3 fatty
acids to optimize the balance of EPA and DHA delivered
to the pet, help brands deliver on Omega 3 claims
with more reliability and transparency, and avoid adding
even more pressure to an already fishy supply.
Relying on fish oil alone to meet growing demand
for Omega 3s is not only unsustainable from an environmental
standpoint, but also from an economic one,
Hebard noted.
" Fish oil and the wild fish it comes from is a finite and,
in many ways, a precious commodity facing increasing
economic and environmental pressures, " he said.
" Supply has become increasingly unreliable, and prices
have risen by as much as 500% in the past 12 months.
What a lot of people don't realize is that the net yield of
fish oil from these species [anchovies, menhaden and
sardines] is often less than 1%, and rising sea temperatures
are lowering their fat content even further. Think
about that for a minute - harvesting over 20,000 kgs of
fish to make less than one drum of oil. This is why we
have to explore alternatives. "
Delivering Omega 3s
Pet nutrition brands looking to deliver Omega 3 fatty
acids through their products are finding themselves at
a fork in the road. Down one path, the continued use of
fish oil is poised to exacerbate existing issues along the
supply chain, as well as contribute to the negative environmental
impacts of overfishing. Down the other path,
however, exists a range of alternative sources that can be
leveraged alongside fish oil, or on their own, to deliver
the same health benefits at lower costs to the planet.
" The Omega 3 industry is in some ways at an inflection
point, " Hebard explained. " Demand for Omega 3
ingredients is rising significantly, in part because of the
growth in aquaculture, in part because of the trend toward
concentrating the levels of EPA and DHA in supplements,
and in part because the commodity oilseeds
used in the background diets of humans and companion
42 PET FOOD PROCESSING | September 2024 | www.petfoodprocessing.net
animals have lower levels of Omega 3s. "
In the industry's ever-evolving search to deliver the
very best for pets, suppliers and manufacturers are looking
behind door No. 2 for more sustainable and reliable
sources of Omega 3s.
" Exploring alternative sources of Omega 3 fatty acids
apart from fish oil addresses environmental concerns,
accommodates dietary restrictions, and allows for customization
of pet foods to optimize pet health and wellbeing, "
Adolphe said.
Ingredient suppliers are innovating along this vein to
bring renewable and plant-based Omega 3 sources to
the pet food aisle.
Simply put, [Omega 3s]
help our pets look well,
move well and feel well. "
Andrew Hebard, Natures Crops International
Skipping the 'middle fish'
Many fish species harvested for food actually obtain
EPA and DHA through their consumption of phytoplankton
that feed on microalgae, with microalgae being
the initial source of the Omega 3s. Unlike the fish
supply, microalgae is a renewable resource that can be
planted again and again. Therefore, IQI Trusted Petfood
Ingredients and Corbion have chosen to bring pets
Omega 3 solutions straight from the source.
Corbion's AlgaPrime™ DHA ingredient line, which
is supported by IQI Trusted Petfood Ingredients, includes
microalgae-based solutions offering between
33% and 35% DHA at minimum, making it one of the
highest-concentrated sources of DHA available today.
The ingredient is GMP+ Feed Safety Assurance and ISO
9001:2015 certified, and can be used in vegan and lowfat
formulations, according to the company.
AlgaPrime DHA ingredients are manufactured
through a closed fermentation process. This allows the
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