Twenty-five percent of the omega-3 content in Lerøy's salmon feed comes from microalgae and this has been the case for around 2.5 years. Technical Manager at Lerøy Seafood Group, Harald Sveier, said the omega-3 acids (EPA and DHA) from algae have exactly the same nutritional and biological properties as those from other sources, such as wild fish and various microalgae producers.

Lerøys feed which is mainly produced by BioMar, contains algae primarily from the manufacturer Corbion. Algae are produced through a sugar fermentation process from non-genetically modified sugar cane in Brazil.

According to Sveier, omega-3 from microalgae is still more expensive than fish oil, but its use is important to reduce footprint and help build a microalgae industry.

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