Unibio and its project partners, DTU Aqua of the Technical University of Denmark, BioMar, the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences of University of Copenhagen (KU) and Danish Agro, an agro-industrial company, have been granted funding by GUDP for a project, “Sustainable protein ingredient for animal feed (SUPIAF),” whose main objective is to validate and optimize the nutritional and functional properties of Unibio’s Uniprotein® when used as feed for salmonids and piglets.
Earlier studies in salmonids and piglets have shown that Uniprotein® may improve growth and intestinal health and reduce N and P excretion. By inclusion of Uniprotein® in commercial feeds, the aim is to increase the production potential and animal welfare through improved performance of the tested species.
The outcomes of the project will contribute to the introduction and development of a new sustainable and non-volatile single cell protein ingredient for commercial use in fish and piglet feed. Uniprotein® will be an alternative to overexploited protein sources such as fishmeal or land-based soy concentrate products. The production of Uniprotein® when using biomethane or waste gas will have low CO2 emissions, and the use of Uniprotein® in feeding is expected to reduce N and P excretion as a result of improved nutrient retention.
The board of GUDP said that it is “a good and relevant project that contributes to the development of new alternative protein sources for feed producers and thus the aquaculture and pig farming industries. The project has relevant participants and appears to be highly professional. The financial aspects of the project are positive and the business plans of the participating companies well-written. The project is interdisciplinary, approaching both the aquaculture and pig farming industries, which is positive.”
Unibio Chief Commercial Officer Michael Jensen stated that “adding more know-how and data to the use of Uniprotein® in feed, while addressing the need to reduce the impact or stress on the environment, are important focus areas for Unibio. We wish to further document the benefits of using Uniprotein® in feed, thus addressing the commercial side of the business, while at the same time addressing the concern of the consumers. We wish to be known as a company which can contribute to reducing the environmental impact of meat production to the benefit of us all.”
Unibio is the project leader of the new project funded by GUDP, the Green Development and Demonstration Program, a funding program under the Danish Ministry for Food, Fisheries, Equal Opportunities and Nordic Cooperation.
