Utilisation of residual raw materials from chicken as a protein source in salmon feed

We will achieve this by developing processes and selection criteria for poultry meal that ensure good biological quality, and investigating the factors that affect consumer acceptance of poultry meal for salmon feed. We will also document any effects of long-term feeding with poultry meal on the performance, health and slaughter quality of the fish.

Background

About 85% of greenhouse gas emissions from the production of Norwegian farmed salmon until slaughter are linked to the feed the fish eat, and the development of sustainable feed raw materials is a priority goal in Norway. Most new feed ingredients have a long and uncertain road to the volumes, cost levels and nutritional quality necessary to be competitive alternatives to, for example, soy concentrate, while poultry meal is already available in large quantities.

By replacing soy concentrate with poultry meal, a valuable resource is upcycled while reducing the climate footprint of the feed. There are two factors in particular that mean that poultry meal is not used in Norwegian salmon feed today.

One is that the digestibility of the protein is variable and usually low. This is believed to be primarily due to heat treatment, but variations in the raw material, such as freshness and fraction, may also be important. Although the legislation in the EU and Norway sets limits for minimum heat treatment, there is probably potential to increase the biological quality of poultry meal through optimization of logistics and process.

The other factor limiting the use of poultry meal is fear of market reactions and a restrictive attitude among European supermarket chains. However, there is little research on how poultry meal is perceived as a feed ingredient by European consumers, and how it will affect consumer acceptance and willingness to pay for salmon.

In today’s Norwegian salmon feed, almost all protein except fishmeal comes from plants. Compared to these, poultry meal has some advantages, such as the absence of antinutrients, a slightly better amino acid profile, and the content of e.g. minerals and fat components that can be valuable for the salmon. However, the effects of long-term feeding with poultry meal on the performance, health and slaughter quality of the fish are poorly documented.

Goal

To facilitate increased utilisation of chicken residues in feed for salmon.

Subgoals

1. Develop processes and selection criteria for poultry meal that ensure good biological quality

2. Investigate which factors (neophobia, information and individual characteristics of the consumer) affect consumer acceptance of poultry meal for salmon feed, as well as the effect of the use of poultry meal on willingness to pay for salmon, give the industry players confidence in their choice to use poultry meal.

3. Document any effects of long-term feeding with poultry meal on the performance, health and slaughter quality of the fish

What we do

In the project, different fractions of residues will be processed into poultry meal using different methods, in accordance with the EU’s regulations for heat treatment. This will be carried out on a small scale at Nofima’s Aquafeed Technology Center in Bergen. Effects of process conditions and feedstock (freshness, fraction) on biological quality will be investigated in digestibility experiments with fish and in vitro, and compared with commercial poultry meal collected from various processing plants in Europe. Advice will be developed on optimal processing and criteria for choosing poultry meal.

The project will also generate knowledge about consumer attitudes and acceptance of poultry meal in salmon feed, as well as the factors that affect this. A special focus will be directed at how consumers are affected by information that salmon is fed poultry meal, compared to other existing and new feed ingredients. To get to the bottom of this, various surveys will be conducted among consumers in relevant European salmon markets.

We will also document any effects of long-term feeding with poultry meal on the fish’s performance, health and slaughter quality. Poultry meal as a protein source for salmon will be tested in a feeding trial with large salmon in the sea, where it will be added as a substitute for soy concentrate and/or fishmeal in the feed. The feeds will be tested for feed intake, growth, feed utilisation, slaughter yield, fillet quality and gut health. Retention of energy and protein in whole fish and edible parts will be calculated as a measure of resource utilisation. Fish that have been fed with and without poultry meal will be tested for smell, color/appearance, taste and texture by a trained sensory panel.

Dissemination of results

Results from the project are communicated in a variety of ways to our stakeholders. As far as possible, they will be linked to this website on an ongoing basis. In particular, it is mentioned that the results of the project will be disseminated in physical and digital meeting arenas under the auspices of the Land meets Ocean cluster in collaboration with NCE Seafood Innovation Cluster.

Read more about feed technology and new ingredients:

Contact person

Bjarne Hatlen

Senior Scientist
+47 71 40 01 06