Lerøy’s 100% Fish Department Leads the Way in Aquaculture with SalmoFer

Lerøy’s new 100 percent Fish department is leading the way in the aquaculture industry with a unique product called SalmoFer. Derived from salmon blood, SalmoFer is the world’s first iron ingredient from marine raw materials. Mats Trones, who leads the department, expressed pride in their innovative approach to utilizing residual raw materials in the industry.

According to research organisation SINTEF, the aquaculture industry has a residual raw material utilisation rate of approximately 94 percent. However, Trones emphasized that there is still room for improvement when it comes to addressing waste and maximizing value from these residuals.

SalmoFer utilizes the protein haemoglobin in salmon blood, which is rich in heme iron. This efficient absorption of heme iron by the body reduces the likelihood of side effects like upset stomach, constipation, and stomach pain that are commonly associated with iron supplements. Additionally, heme iron absorption is not affected by the consumption of coffee, tea, wine, or dairy products.

Trones highlighted Lerøy’s commitment to innovation and sustainability through their development of SalmoFer and their ongoing projects within the department. The company is collaborating with research and development communities, biotech ventures, and start-ups to bring more innovative products to market and maximize the value of their raw materials. While Trones maintained secrecy about specific projects being worked on externally with partners, he hinted at several exciting developments happening both internally at Lerøy and externally with external partners.