© Lerøy
According to the research organisation SINTEF, the aquaculture industry has a residual raw material utilisation rate of approximately 94 percent. The only remaining part that is not utilised is the blood, something the industry has been working to rectify for over 20 years.
“After working hard for several years to develop this unique product, we are proud to see the results. This really underlines Lerøy’s reputation for innovation and sustainability,” said Mats Trones, who heads Lerøy’s new 100 percent Fish department, which was established to work on developing, commercialising and selling innovative products made from Lerøy’s own raw ingredients to new market segments.
The blood-based product, which has been given the name SalmoFer, is not just the world’s first iron ingredient from salmon, but also the first of its kind, according to Lerøy.
“To our knowledge, this is the only commercially available iron ingredient from marine raw materials,” explains Trones.
SalmoFer makes use of the protein haemoglobin in the salmon blood, which is naturally rich in heme iron.
“Heme iron is a fantastic source of iron! Our bodies absorb it more efficiently and easily than non-heme iron,” Trones says.
In practice, this means you avoid the unwanted side effects such as an upset stomach, constipation and stomach pain, which many people experience when taking iron supplements. In addition, its absorption is not affected by drinking coffee, tea or wine, or by consuming dairy products.
“By using all our raw ingredients and expertise at Lerøy, as well as our good partnerships with R&D communities, biotech ventures and start-ups, we want to bring more innovative products to market in order to make even better use of our raw materials and add more value,” says Trones.
In relation to the other projects the department is working on, he is keeping his cards close to his chest.
“I cannot give away too much, but I can say that we are already working on several exciting projects, both internally at Lerøy and in partnership with third parties,” he adds.
