Changing the Landscape of Feed Technology: Aquaterra and Nuseed
This blog post features one of GAA’s Corporate Members, Nuseed. Nuseed is on the cutting edge of feed in the seafood industry, with innovations like Aquaterra. They were a finalist for the 2020 Global Aquaculture Innovation Award, and are sponsoring the GOAL conference this year.
Globally, Nuseed® is unlocking the full potential of canola, carinata, sorghum, and sunflower, delivering value BEYOND YIELD®. The world has new challenges, requiring new solutions. Plant-based products have the power to solve important problems with considerable benefits to consumer health and our environment. Nuseed partnered with CSIRO and GRDC to address the global shortage of long-chain omega-3. Over ten years of research are invested in creating the world’s first land-based omega-3 by using advanced biotechnology to sustainably deliver the nutritional benefits of microalgae via canola.
Aquaterra® is a Nuseed innovation developed specifically for the aquaculture industry to provide an advanced omega-3 oil with a reliable supply chain to support industry growth. Collaboration has been key from conception with CSIRO at the turn of the millennium to commercialization in 2020, and Nuseed’s partners include safety and efficacy studies conducted by NOFIMA and commercial scale trials executed by the leading salmon producers in Chile. This year’s achievements are due in part to the support and acceptance of the aquaculture industry.
Nuseed is especially grateful for the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s recognition of Aquaterra as a finalist for the GOAL 2020 Innovation of the Year. For us, it is validation for the value our innovation offers industry as an effective complement to marine ingredients and a significant advancement for the oil mix and its influence on fish health.
2020 was an extraordinary year for Aquaterra. The results of our commercial scale feeding trials with over 3 million fish were published by Salmon Expert. The study revealed that Aquaterra is much more than a novel source of DHA+EPA. The unique omega-3 profile of Aquaterra improves fish health by improving the ω6: ω3 profile and increasing total omega-3 content in the fillet. Fish fed an Aquaterra diet were much more resilient in challenging conditions and experienced an overall 2% decrease in mortality, through the total sea cycle. Additionally, inclusion of Aquaterra reduced dependence on marine ingredients by as much as 60%.
Sustainability is increasingly important in the end-consumers’ purchase decision. There is a shift toward farm raised seafood driven by consumer desire for increased traceability and responsible management of marine resources. Traceability is thoroughly managed throughout the supply chain, guided by the protocols of Excellence Through Stewardship. Aquaterra is now Friend of the Sea certified, the first biotechnology product to achieve this recognition for the outstanding environmental benefits of the full production, from soil to finished oil.
Aquaterra is a forward-looking product aligned with global goals for a more sustainable world. Nuseed Nutritional officially joined the United Nations Global Compact as a signatory company in February 2021 and will be tracking our progress in promoting these sustainable development goals: Zero Hunger, Life on Land, and Life Below Water.
Nuseed joined GAA to accelerate the sustainability of aquaculture and deliver more efficient, high quality food to a growing population. We share the values of innovation and collaboration and are dedicated to advancing environmentally and socially responsible aquaculture practices.
The recently refreshed website AquaterraOmega3.com expands on Nuseed’s innovation and research. Expect to see a lot more from Aquaterra in the next few years. Aquaterra® Advanced Omega-3 has the potential to double the world’s supply of DHA on just 2% of the current canola production land.
Thanks for being a member, Aquaterra!
