Algae-fed trout follows salmon on to French shelves
Trout fed with a pioneering diet that incorporates algal oil has gone on sale in France this week.
The trout diet is the latest in a succession of collaborations between feed maker Skretting and Veramaris, which produces omega-3-rich algae in fermentation tanks in Europe and the US.
Last year salmon raised on a similar diet by Norwegian farmer Lingalaks was first made available to French consumers by retailer Supermarché Match, which has since reported a 12% growth in the salmon category.
Innovation
The trout are produced for processing cooperative Truite Service by farmers in Hauts-de-France, the northernmost region of the country.
“We are very happy to see Truite Service seizing on the opportunity to introduce our first-to-market diet. It’s also extremely pleasing that retailers are on board in this supply chain,” says Elodie Petit, marketing manager at Skretting France.
“These new feeds are the result of decades of R&D by Skretting, and to secure such strong market support is a further demonstration that our long-term commitment to innovation is paying dividends for our value chain partners.”
Alternative source
The Veramaris algal oil doesn’t completely replace marine ingredients but allows the feed manufacturer to use fewer of of them.
“With the well-known benefits of eating a diet rich in omega-3s, the alternative source that we provide complements the finite supply of fish oil from wild-caught fish, and trout and salmon consumers have access to sustainable and healthy fish,” said Gaëlle Husser, global business development director at Veramaris.
