"By producing ready-to-eat products from these parts of the fish, we can offer people better nutrition in everyday foods, while reducing waste and creating more sustainable value from every catch," said Hailia CEO Michaela Lindström.
Photo: Hailia
A Finnish seafood technology company claims that food products made from salmon heads, fins and frames contain far higher levels of key nutrients than standard fillets, raising questions about whether some of the healthiest parts of the fish are the parts we usually throw away.
Hailia, which specialises in converting fish processing sidestreams into ready-to-eat foods, says its research indicates that these overlooked parts of the fish can deliver markedly higher amounts of calcium, marine collagen, vitamin D, iron, zinc and Omega-3 fats. According to the company, calcium levels in these products can be up to twenty times higher than in typical fillet-based items, while marine collagen content can reach roughly five times that found in conventional salmon products.
The firm argues that the elevated calcium and vitamin D levels reflect the presence of bones and cartilage, which it says naturally support calcium absorption. It also highlights collagen levels of up to 2 g per serving, a concentration it notes is similar to what is found in many popular supplements.
The company also claims that iron levels in these sidestream-based products are around double those found in salmon fillets, and suggests this could offer a natural way to support dietary iron intake at a time when deficiency remains common worldwide.
“Sidestreams have been valuable in cooking throughout our history, from broths to local delicacies, because they give good taste and contain high levels of healthy nutrients,” said Hailia CEO and founder Michaela Lindström. “Our data shows that these same raw materials can serve a much bigger purpose… By producing ready-to-eat products from these parts of the fish, we can offer people better nutrition in everyday foods, while reducing waste and creating more sustainable value from every catch.”
“People use supplements for different reasons… But wouldn’t it be better if we got the nutrients we needed from what we eat, rather than relying on often expensive health products?” Lindström added.
Hailia says its processing method can be applied to a wide range of species, not just salmon, and argues that it provides producers with a way to generate higher-value foods from raw materials traditionally viewed as "low-yield".
CTO and co-founder Otto Kaukonen drew a comparison with changes in cereal grain processing. “For decades, the best parts of grains were discarded; we focused on starch and left behind the bran and germ, which we now know are the most nutrient-rich components,” he said.
“We’re seeing a similar pattern in seafood today. Traditional processing has prioritized fillets, even though the heads, frames, and fins contain much higher levels of collagen, calcium, and iron. With Hailia’s technology, we can finally unlock the full nutritional potential of these parts, giving them a new life in higher-value products. It’s a shift that could make seafood sidestreams the next superfood that’s naturally nutrient-rich, sustainable, and ready for modern diets.”
Hailia co-founders, CEO Michaela Lindström and CTO Otto Kaukonen.
Photo: Laura Riihela / Hailia.
Hailia recently announced it had undertaken a €1.75 million investment round, with Finnish rainbow trout producer Kalavapriikki, a long-time collaborator and licensee of Hailia’s technology, as one of the lead investors.
In 2024, Hailia launched its first commercial product, “pulled rainbow trout,” in collaboration with Kalavapriikki and Finnish grocery chain S-Group. The same year, it also introduced products for food service and industrial kitchens with fish processor Hätälä, and announced that it had signed its first licensing agreement to integrate its technology into Kalavapriikki's production facility in Kuopio, Finland.
