Minnesota-based animal feed manufacturer Cargill has struck up a deal with White Dog Labs in its latest effort to expand its offerings in the realm of sustainable fishmeal alternatives.
Thanks to the deal, Cargill will now have access to White Dog Labs’ ProTyton, a single-cell protein made by fermentation with corn feedstock. Considered to be a sustainable alternative for harvesting fishmeal, ProTyton is high in protein and amino acids, Cargill explained in a press release. White Dog Labs plans to have ProTyton ready to ship from its demo facility in Sutherland, Nebraska by 2020, the biotech company said.
“This agreement underlines our commitment to sustainable aquaculture and discovering new and strategic ingredients that will help feed the world in a safe and responsible way,” said Adriano Marcon, president of Cargill’s aqua nutrition business. “ProTyton offers a good source of protein for fish and shrimp, an affordable feed ingredient for farmers and a sustainable option for the planet that lessens our reliance on fishmeal—which we know to be a finite resource.”
Salmon feed will be the first Cargill offering to use ProTyton, with feeds for shrimp and other species listed as additional potentials for the protein moving forward, as White Dog Labs’ production volume increases. Initial trials for ProTyton showed that salmon fed a diet including the protein achieved a growth performance comparable to salmon on a conventional diet, according to Cargill.
“We’re honored to partner with Cargill to lead the industry in the application of highly scalable, alternative proteins for aquaculture,” said Bryan Tracy, chief executive officer for White Dog Labs.
ProTyton is comprised of 80 percent protein, offering a “higher protein content than typical fishmeal,” Cargill noted. As with White Dog Labs’ MiruTyton – a liquid feed additive that is rich in butyrate, which promotes healthy digestion and boosts energy – ProTyton is easily scalable due to its ethanol-like fermentation process.
“Like fishmeal, ProTyton offers an attractive amino acid profile with 40 percent essential amino acids—those the animal cannot produce that must be supplied by the diet. Plus, ProTyton is economical because it has a valuable co-product, MiruTyton, which shares its production costs,” Cargill added.
The partnership with White Dog Labs comes on the tail of Cargill’s strategic alignment with InnovaFeed in June 2018, which transpired as a means to “scale up and jointly market fish feed made with insect protein,” the firm said.
