ATIPECA

Context

The aquaculture sector is continuously working on various strategies to improve its sustainability. In the area of nutrition, they are trying to incorporate alternative sources of plant-based protein to replace extractive fishmeal. However, this is not without its challenges. One of these is the way in which essential minerals for fish (such as calcium and phosphorus) are provided, which when derived from plant sources are difficult to digest and therefore less available.

Objective

ATIPECA’s main objective is to produce a mineral ingredient from fish bones from the fish processing industry. This new raw material, rich in organic phosphorus, would be highly bioavailable to fish, leading to more sustainable aquaculture feeds.

Innovative character

One of the main pillars for achieving ATIPECA’s objectives is the use of innovative technologies. In this project, the RINA Jet Flash Dryer will be used; a piece of equipment that allows the handling and drying of temperature-sensitive agri-food by-products with high energy efficiency.

Given the difficulty of homogenising and disintegrating some organic matrices, such as fish bones, this technology will be adapted to extend the processing capacity to a wider range of heterogeneous and difficult to disintegrate food matrices.

Results

Semi-industrial scaling of a flash-drying technology adapted to process complex matrices, such as ground tuna and salmonid bones.

Continuous production of ingredients with final moisture contents below 8%, reaching approximate processing capacities of 175 kg/h and 100 kg/h, respectively.

Production of ingredients with a high mineral content:

• Up to 255.5 g/kg of calcium
• Up to 128 g/kg of phosphorus

Confirmation of their safety, with levels of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons compatible with animal feed requirements.

Validation in commercially relevant aquaculture species. Diets containing up to 3% of these ingredients showed no significant negative effects on growth, survival or feed conversion in European seabass, gilthead seabream, greater amberjack and shrimp.

Impact

ATIPECA demonstrates that a traditionally underused fraction of the fishing industry can be transformed into a new source of minerals for aquaculture, helping to:

• Promote the circular economy across the fisheries value chain.
• Reduce resource waste.
• Improve the use of marine raw materials.
• Support the transition towards more sustainable and efficient aquaculture production systems.

Participants

RIERA NADEU, AZTI, BARNA, CTAQUA

Funding