Scotland salmon farming company Loch Duart has signed a supply agreement with London-based nutrition company CellsUnited.
The partnership will launch a product utilizing salmon waste. Currently, when Loch Duart’s salmon are prepared for customers, the salmon viscera (guts) are disposed of and once filleted the heads and frames are used in low-grade applications such as fertilizer and pet food. Now, Loch Duart will supply CellsUnited with up to 450 metric tons (MT) of salmon guts and heads.
The salmon byproduct will be used to produce Cellper, a new nutritional compound that has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of malnutrition in people who cannot otherwise digest protein.
The Cellper process transforms the value of salmon waste, which has been identified as the ideal protein source for the product. The result can be used in two forms: As a dietary supplement in basic granular form, where it is the most compact form of ‘pre-digest’ protein and therefore easily transported to remote parts of the world; and as a liquid nutritional supplement for many types of hospital patients.
According to Andy Bing, Loch Duart director, the arrangement has important implications for Scotland’s salmon farming industry.
“The Cellper process, derived from technology developed for long-distance space travel, adds significant value to those parts of the salmon usually discarded or used for fertilizer and pet food,” said Bing. “Now the full nutritional benefit, including that of the viscera, frames and heads, can be used to combat malnutrition in developing countries and to speed the recovery of many categories of hospital patients in the developed world. We are delighted to be part of this important breakthrough.”
“We see an important future working with the aquaculture industry worldwide — and where better to start than with Scotland’s most innovative, quality salmon producer? We plan to spend the next 18 months working closely with Loch Duart before establishing volume production which will need a minimum of 4,500 MT of salmon waste a year,” said Andy Smith, CellsUnited managing director. “Our relationship with Loch Duart will continue as part of our permanent R&D base in Dingwall.”
