Previous research demonstrates that we can use fish by-products, such as fish heads, backbones, and guts, to produce healthy food ingredients and high-value products for human consumption. BLUEWAYSE follows an integrated multi-actor innovation approach combining fish processing with microalgae production in a circular economy manner, with the objective to produce responsible BLUE food and feed, with low environmental impacts. In the project we will work with process optimisation to reduce losses and maintain food-grade quality in fish by-products to aim for nutritious and functional food products. We will exploit the opportunities in using processing residues in microalgae cultivation and extraction of microalgae functional components in feeds, nutritional supplement and biomaterial production, such for oral care and cosmetic products. The validity of the new products will be documented through feeding, lab, sensory, consumer and clinical trials. The project will address challenges associated with taste, odour, bioactivity, safety, and consumer acceptance, to ensure that products are of high quality and can be effectively brought to the market.
Previous research demonstrates that we can use low-value animal feed ingredients, such as fish heads, backbones, and viscera, to produce healthy food ingredients and high-value products for human consumption. BLUEWAYSE expands using fish processing residues, currently discarded due to their very low dry matter content, to cultivation of marine microalgae, creating opportunities for increased sustainable production of BLUE food and feed, with less adverse environmental impacts. BLUEWAYSE will optimise handling of biomass from aquaculture and fisheries to maintain food-grade quality and reduce losses and processing waste, towards food products. We will create value from the processing residues in feeds and in microalgae cultivation, and biomaterial production , to increase the efficiency, circularity and resilience of the sectors. Exploiting larger parts of marine biomass for human consumption will lead to increased supply of BLUE food, whereas utilising secondary sidestreams to produce value-added products will contribute to the resilience of these coastal industries by the simultaneous production of sustainable marine resources, such as algae. BLUEWAYSE follows a multi-actor innovation approach to develop industrial synergies and technologies that result in low energy consumption to increase the sustainable supply of food and material production. Ee aim to develop high-quality proteins and bioactives from European aquaculture and fisheries sidestreams combined with microalgae systems for applications in nutritional supplements, innovative food, cosmetics, biomaterials, and animal feed, targeting a holistic food-first zero-waste approach. The validity of the new products will be documented through feeding, lab, sensory, consumer and clinical trials. The project will address challenges associated with taste, odour, bioactivity, safety, and consumer acceptance, to ensure that products are of high quality and can be effectively brought to the market.