A new product will be trialled in the African nation of Ghana.
Up until the 1960s, English coalminers consumed products based on herring milt to stay healthy. Such products were also sold in Norway.
However, this raw material from herring is not exploited today. Scientists and industry want to attempt to change this.
Powder
A new project, which is being funded by the Norwegian Fishermen's Sales Organisation for Pelagic Fish, is working to develop a powder product based on white corn and herring milt.
"Many people object to eating products based on milt, which is fish sperm, but think it's fine to eat roe, which is fish eggs," says Jan Pettersen, Senior Scientist at Nofima Ingredients.
"But the milt is extremely nutritious and can contribute to fighting malnutrition in areas where this is common."
Herring milt has the ideal composition as an additive to food in developing countries, as it contains high levels of many of the nutrients missing in the food.
Several markets
Processed herring milt powder can optimise the composition of protein, vitamins and essential fatty acids in traditional foods based on rice, corn and other grain products.
Possible markets for the product include the United Nations and humanitarian organisations. Enriched grain, rice and corn products may also be viable for paying markets such as breakfast cereals and nutritional supplements.
This is a collaborative project between Nofima Ingredients, the University of Bergen and NutriMarine Life Science.
