A new EU project, SIDESTREAM, aims to develop innovative processes of underutilized waste materials from aquaculture, agriculture and biogas industries to produce new ingredients for aquaculture and achieve zero waste. 

Researchers will test the potential of polychaetes (Hediste diversicolor) and gammarids (Gammarus locusta) to utilize solid phase waste materials to produce biomass containing the sought-after ω3 LC-PUFA, as well as high-quality proteins and functional ingredients. Bacteria (Corynebacterium glutamicum) will be investigated for their potential of converting liquid waste streams into important pigments (astaxanthin) and proteins and marine bacteria will be produced in waste streams following circular principles.

The project will also assess to what extent it will be possible to recycle nutrients from aquaculture and agricultural effluents through secondary production and what is the most appropriate approach. Researchers will test if these organisms can be utilized as ingredients for aquafeed and how safe these ingredients are. These are some of the issues that the project will assess towards a common goal, the secondary bio-production of low trophic level organisms to produce new ingredients for European aquaculture.

SIDESTREAM is led by Sintef Ocean Norway and involves nine European partners, CIIMAR, Portugal; CSIC, Spain; AWI, Germany; Projecthub360, Italy; Nofima, Biokraft and Skretting Norway.