Top algae-based omega-3 supplier announced

08-11-2019 | Feed additives | News

Michael Tlusty, F3 judge and associate professor at the University of Massachusetts (left), Karim Kurmaly Veramaris CEO (centre), and Kevin Fitzsimmons, chair and judge of the F3 Fish Oil Challenge (right). Photo: F3 Future of Fish Feed

Veramaris, which was founded by its parent companies DSM and Evonik, won the F3 Fish Oil Challenge for selling the largest amount of omega-3 EPA & DHA and omega-6 fatty acid ARA (arachidonic acid) from natural marine algae over the 1-year challenge, thereby conserving the equivalent of 2 billion fish from use in fishmeal and fish oil.

Launched in 2015, the F3 Fish Oil Challenge is held by The Future of Fish Feed (F3) and forms part of a collaborative effort by US NGOs (The Nature Conservancy, et al.), researchers, and private partnerships to accelerate commercial-scale adoption of alternative feed ingredients to reduce the reliance on wild-caught fish.

Contestants were required to develop a non-fish alternative to fish oil that contains the essential fatty acids EPA, DHA, and ARA. With an optimal ratio of all 3 acids needed to meet the nutritional requirements of farmed fish, Veramaris provides the aquaculture industry with the commercial-scale source of algal oil containing EPA, DHA, and ARA.

Work in the laboratories at the Veramaris facility in Nebraska, USA. Photo: Veramaris

“Veramaris’ success is a result of our efforts to reunite health and sustainability, while conserving finite natural resources. Innovations such as Veramaris are one of Evonik’s many contributions to the increasing urgency for food system transformation,” said Johann-Caspar Gammelin, chairman of the board of management of Evonik Nutrition & Care.

The Veramaris facility for the production of omega-3 EPA & DHA from natural marine algae in Nebraska, USA. Photo: Veramaris
Veramaris has conserved the equivalent of 2 billion fish from use in fishmeal and fish oil. Photo: Veramaris / Uli Kunz

By producing a sustainable and scalable source of omega-3 fatty acids from natural marine algae at its production facility in Nebraska, USA, Veramaris is ready to supply 15% of the global salmon aquaculture’s annual demand for omega-3 EPA and DHA, according to Evonik.