SINTEF Ocean upcycles fish waste into sustainable nutritional and cosmetic products

30 Apr 2024 --- Researchers at the independent Norwegian R&D organization SINTEF Ocean are developing technologies that could allow them to convert fish byproducts, in particular skin, into highly sought-after ingredients. These include collagen and gelatin used in the manufacturing of creams, capsules, powders and jellies across pharmaceutical, dietary, nutrition and cosmetic industries.

“Fish-derived collagen is often of higher quality,” says Rasa Slizyte, a senior research scientist at SINTEF Ocean. “If we optimize our exploitation of whitefish residues, we can produce more than 6,500 tons of gelatin from fish skin every year.”

The ongoing research is part of project Supreme by the Research Council of Norway, led by SINTEF Ocean and conducted alongside the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Technical University of Denmark.

Promoting a circular economy
The project sets out to utilize the 340,000 metric tons of residual raw material left over annually from the whitefish industry, which is rich in omega 3 oil, collagen, gelatin, proteins, lipids, calcium, phosphorus and other valuable components.

The research team has thus far successfully yielded gelatin and amino acids through the use of various preservation technologies, including freezing, salting and low-pH techniques.

The reduction of the proportion of residual raw materials would reduce the environmental impact of the industry while introducing new market opportunities.

“If we were to process more of the fish here in Norway, we would not only be better able to exploit the potential of the fish skins but would also create more jobs,” says Slizyte.

Fish-derived collagen is often of higher quality and enables people who don’t eat meat to enjoy the product.Salmon extractions
SINTEF researchers are simultaneously looking to utilize the collagen-rich salmon skin and backbones as part of the EU-funded project Dafia, working to take advantage of municipal solid and waste and marine raw materials.

The team is in the process of developing a multi-stage processing technology, incorporating gentle heat treatment that is able to break down the skin and backbones and remove muscle fractions. This process would allow the extraction of as much as 90% of the desirable oil.

During the process, the salmon is fileted and deboned, while some residual muscle tissue is left on the bone. This mixture is optimal for gelatin extraction and the production of oils and protein hydrolysates.

Hydrolysates, using tempered water, allow for the breaking down of collagen protein molecules into smaller, taste-neutral peptides, say the researchers.

“These projects demonstrate that it’s entirely possible to make use of all fish raw materials,” asserts Slizyte. “We’ve completed our investigations of whitefish and salmon, so now it’s herring’s turn.”

Pescatarian alternative
The marine source of collagen currently in the works is also more environmentally sustainable because it presents a potential alternative to the currently most commonly found collagen and gelatin on the market — that extracted from the skin and bones of pigs and cattle, which comes along with a higher carbon footprint.

Marine collagen and gelatin are also more attractive for people with certain dietary restrictions. “Fish-derived collagen is often of higher quality and enables people who don’t eat meat to enjoy products containing gelatin,” notes Slizyte.

There are, however, some challenges that the SINTEF Ocean team and their partners need to work through before a full-scale market adoption of the marine alternative. For example, many fishing vessels at present have a limited space on board that lacks the equipment to supply or freeze the fresh and high-quality raw materials needed to avoid deterioration and utilization.

By Milana Nikolova

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