Abstract
This study presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) of a novel nutraceutical
derived from fish protein hydrolysate (FPH), utilizing by-products from
Norwegian salmon processing. With approximately 1 million tons of foodgrade fish by-products generated annually in Norway, the potential to
upcycle this biomass into high-value ingredients is significant. However,
undesirable flavour and odor have limited its use in human nutrition. The
novel innovation addresses this by employing oxygenase enzymes to
process salmon by-products into odorless, nutrient-rich FPH.
As the novel product is still in the development phase, the LCA was based
on lab-scale production data. Inputs comprised fish residues, enzymes,
water, and electricity. Transportation, infrastructure, and downstream
processing were excluded. Impact categories assessed include climate
change, acidification, and eutrophication (freshwater and marine), using EF
3.1 methodology.
Results show that energy consumption dominates as the source of
environmental impacts, especially during condensation and freeze-drying
(up to 73% across categories). Raw materials contributed minimally due to
economic allocation. Sensitivity analysis revealed that excluding freezer
energy reduces climate impacts by 19%. Allocation between process coproducts (FPH and fish oil) slightly altered impact shares but did not
significantly affect overall results.
Compared to benchmark protein isolates, FPH had lower climate impact
than whey protein concentrate but higher than soy and faba bean protein
isolates. For eutrophication and acidification, FPH performed moderately,
better than whey but worse than plant-based alternatives. Due to reliance
on lab-scale data, these results are preliminary.
The study concludes that while FPH holds promise as a sustainable
protein source, industrial-scale data is crucial for accurate environmental
assessment. Future research should focus on scaling up production to
enable informed comparisons with other protein sources. Interviews with
aquaculture representatives revealed that, although there are no regulatory
barriers to scaling up, challenges are anticipated in terms of operational
capacity and the fragmented nature of the industry, which is largely
dominated by SMEs.
derived from fish protein hydrolysate (FPH), utilizing by-products from
Norwegian salmon processing. With approximately 1 million tons of foodgrade fish by-products generated annually in Norway, the potential to
upcycle this biomass into high-value ingredients is significant. However,
undesirable flavour and odor have limited its use in human nutrition. The
novel innovation addresses this by employing oxygenase enzymes to
process salmon by-products into odorless, nutrient-rich FPH.
As the novel product is still in the development phase, the LCA was based
on lab-scale production data. Inputs comprised fish residues, enzymes,
water, and electricity. Transportation, infrastructure, and downstream
processing were excluded. Impact categories assessed include climate
change, acidification, and eutrophication (freshwater and marine), using EF
3.1 methodology.
Results show that energy consumption dominates as the source of
environmental impacts, especially during condensation and freeze-drying
(up to 73% across categories). Raw materials contributed minimally due to
economic allocation. Sensitivity analysis revealed that excluding freezer
energy reduces climate impacts by 19%. Allocation between process coproducts (FPH and fish oil) slightly altered impact shares but did not
significantly affect overall results.
Compared to benchmark protein isolates, FPH had lower climate impact
than whey protein concentrate but higher than soy and faba bean protein
isolates. For eutrophication and acidification, FPH performed moderately,
better than whey but worse than plant-based alternatives. Due to reliance
on lab-scale data, these results are preliminary.
The study concludes that while FPH holds promise as a sustainable
protein source, industrial-scale data is crucial for accurate environmental
assessment. Future research should focus on scaling up production to
enable informed comparisons with other protein sources. Interviews with
aquaculture representatives revealed that, although there are no regulatory
barriers to scaling up, challenges are anticipated in terms of operational
capacity and the fragmented nature of the industry, which is largely
dominated by SMEs.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Building Resilience to Global Challenges |
| Subtitle of host publication | Book of Abstracts of the International Conference on the Water-Energy-Food Nexus for a low-carbon Economy in Europe & beyond |
| Editors | Chrysi Laspidou, Floor Brouwer, Giannis Adamos |
| Publisher | University of Thessaly |
| Pages | 75-76 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-618-5960-05-6 |
| Publication status | Published - 4 Jun 2025 |
| MoE publication type | Not Eligible |
| Event | Building Resilience to Global Challenges - Brussels, Belgium Duration: 4 Jun 2025 → 4 Jun 2025 |
Conference
| Conference | Building Resilience to Global Challenges |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Belgium |
| City | Brussels |
| Period | 4/06/25 → 4/06/25 |