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HAVBRUK2-Stort program for havbruksforskning

ERA-NET: BlueBio - Mussel Mitigation Feeds and Supply System Technological Development

Awarded: NOK 3.8 mill.

The MuMiFaST project is aims to optimize and mitigate mussel biomass harvest throughout the value chain. The project's objectives span from addressing undersized mussel biomass to pre-processing, employing novel industrial processing techniques, utilizing processing waste, and integrating the final product into feed ingredients for the aquaculture feed industry. While previous efforts have focused on transforming this underutilized marine protein into low-ash meal at the lab and pilot scale, MuMiFaST seeks to encompass all aspects of the value chain. Primary post-harvest challenges include preservation, salt removal, dewatering, and biomass pre-processing to ensure sustainable and economically feasible quality. MuMiFaST emphasizes the relationship between the consistency of harvested material and pre-processing treatments, linking them to large-scale processing to assess the high-throughput conversion of raw ingredients into processed meals. Post-harvest logistics involve addressing challenges such as declumping, biofouling removal, and the capture and reuse of waste materials (byssus, organic matter, flora/fauna), especially during sea harvesting. Pre-processing steps are crucial for managing retained salt, which can increase ash content in processed meals. Effectively separating undersized mussels of varying size and tissue for high-volume throughput while maintaining aquaculture feed quality is another critical aspect. The project evaluates methods to capture and utilize processing by-products, such as shells, partially separated tissue parts, and water-soluble proteins, aiming to reduce the environmental footprint and enhance the overall value of the processing chain. Additionally, biorefinery process is established to valorise mussel meat from shell fraction using enzyme hydrolysis. The potential of mussel processing water is utilized for microbial fermentation that can be used to produce various products (such as microbial protein, oils etc). Novel industrial mussel meals developed in MuMiFaST, serving as alternatives to fishmeal, will undergo evaluation in high-value aquaculture species—major consumers of fishmeal as a feed ingredient. The sustainability and viability of the entire value chain will be rigorously assessed using techno-economic modeling and Life Cycle Analysis.

The MuMiFaST project gathers European expertise on the value chain related to mitigation mussels which is an undersized non-uniform biomass compared to mussels produced for human consumption. Mussel mitigation culture is a relatively new industry with the primary function to mitigate coastal eutrophication by maximizing biomass accumulation and harvest of biomass to extract diffuse nutrients from the marine environment. This marine bioresource can be produced sustainably, and exhibits promise in use as a high quality animal feed and in nutritious value-added food products. The primary needs for innovation are related to post-harvest preprocessing and processing of large volumes of heterogeneous mussels to a quality standard suitable for the aquaculture feeds industry. In this project the partners will develop advancements in the supply system of blue bioeconomy value chains of mitigation mussels, providing proof of concept of new perspectives on waste reduction and utilization of the entire biomass towards production of highly quality ingredients for the aquaculture feed industry. Application of the mussel mitigation model in a wider European context will be explored through the partner organizations here and broad stakeholder engagement.

Funding scheme:

HAVBRUK2-Stort program for havbruksforskning