Deep Branch and BioMar have signed an agreement whose first step will be to optimize salmon feed using Proton™, a single-cell protein developed by Deep Branch that will be applied in the feed manufactured by BioMar. The partnership between the two will be long-term and aims to "redefine traditional aquaculture feed ingredients and improve the aquaculture industry". To this end, both companies will conduct a large number of nutritional evaluations to analyze the performance and digestibility of the new ingredient.
The first step of this cooperation will be to optimize the salmon feed using Proton™, a single cell protein developed by Deep Branch as a primary protein source for the feed industry. The UK company will transport Proton™ from its facilities in the Netherlands to BioMar's Technology Center in Denmark to produce the new feed until the end of 2022. To test this new protein-rich ingredient, the companies will conduct a series of nutritional evaluations that will focus on performance, digestibility and other parameters essential for fish health and growth. The trials will take place in Denmark, Norway and the United Kingdom.
Deep Branch's announcement about the collaboration makes it clear that the objective of this technical and commercial partnership is a bet on the future. This new salmon feed is a first step to "redefine traditional aquaculture feed ingredients and improve the aquaculture industry's efficiency, profitability and sustainability". Commenting on the partnership, Pete Rowe, Deep Branch's CEO, said: "The world needs to move from making pledges to taking action, and we are passionate about industrial ecology underpinning the next generation of food production".
In addition to using clean, renewable sources of energy and carbon, Deep Branch collaborates with local suppliers of strategic raw materials, ensuring that demand for food and feed can be met sustainably without compromising nutrition or quality. For its part, BioMar, which not long ago announced the inclusion of microalgae as an ingredient, is driving the adoption of sustainable foods through its Blue Impact diets and aims to decouple food supply chains from environmental degradation and compete directly with food for human consumption. In commenting on this strategic partnership, both companies have highlighted their shared vision of sustainability in the aquaculture industry.
"We see BioMar as a key partner in bringing Proton™ to market as its ambitious targets and commitment to collaboration fully align with ours", Rowe said. "Innovation doesn't happen in a vacuum. We have a unique opportunity to create new value chains and ensure this is a net positive for all stakeholders. Our partnership with BioMar will create a powerful message for potential upstream partners that supplying hydrogen and carbon dioxide to our facilities can directly decarbonise our food systems", added Deep Branch's CEO.
The Vice President of Salmon at the BioMar Group, Paddy Campbell, recalled that the Danish company prioritizes minimizing waste and is always on the lookout for innovative raw materials that do not compete with the production of food for humans, which is why he was excited about this agreement. "Deep Branch is a company that shares our vision and passion for a sustainable food and aquaculture system. Driving a breakthrough innovation such as Proton™ requires collaboration across the value chain, and we look forward to working together to make Proton™ a commercial reality in our aquafeeds", he stated.
Founded in 2018, and with approximately 30 staff based in the UK and the Netherlands, Deep Branch creates sustainable, high-value food and feed ingredients to support a more sustainable food system. The company's proprietary technology uses CO2 and hydrogen as clean and renewable carbon and energy sources to deliver next-generation bio-based products.
In BioMar, they are innovators in high-performance aquaculture feed creating a healthy and sustainable global aquaculture industry. Wholly owned by the Danish industrial group Schouw & Co, the company operates 17 feed factories across the globe and supplies feed worldwide to around 90 countries and for more than 45 different species.
