Seafood protein hydrolysates

Produce high-value protein-rich ingredients from seafood co-products with microbial enzymes, including fish and seafood protein extracts, natural flavors and flavor enhancers.

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Fish processing

Just eight countries in the world produce over half the world’s fish processing. One of the major goals of the seafood-processing industry is to add value to final products, including the ready-to-eat or low preparation seafood products that are increasingly popular.

In fish-fillet production, only a fraction of the available fish is used, and the rest is often discarded as low-value coproducts or used as animal feed. Instead these can be used to create a new higher value stream.

Maximize the value of co-products

With Novozymes enzymes, processors gain an efficient tool to maximize the value of seafood. Enzymes let you convert low-value co-products into high-value protein-rich ingredients, including fish and seafood protein extracts (FPEs), natural flavors and flavor enhancers.

You can create good-quality flavored stocks, broths and bouillons, as well as a clean bone fraction suitable for gelatin processing.

Any type of seafood can be used, including all types of fish, crab, lobster, clams, krill, shrimp, langoustine, etc.

High quality fish oils

Omega-3 are fatty acids that benefit human health in several ways. Fish oils are a key source Omega-3. Enzymatic processing of fish oils is a gentler alternative to chemical extraction. It leads to higher purity and fewer by-products. It can produce higher quality Omega-3 forms like docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosatetraenoic acid (EPA). It can also boost triglyceride concentration. Depending on their DHA:EPA ratios, different Omega-3 fatty acids play different roles in the body. Enzymes allow you to create products with differing DHA:EPA ratios.

Improve your process environment

The enzymatic process is safer and more robust than acid treatment. It is easy to control, and there is no risk of equipment corrosion. Processing conditions are better for your employees and the environment.

Enzymes increase efficiency and are fully biodegradeable, so your process becomes more sustainable.

New markets for fish hydrolysates

Fish hydrolysates are typically made from the guts, bones, cartilage, scales and remaining meat left after filleting. These are mixed with water and ground up.

Enzymes can be used to dissolve bones, scales and meat; this way the hydrolysate retains valuable calcium and mineral content.

Anti-carcinogenic, anti-proliferative

There are many uses of fish hydrolysate - including new high-value applications that are under development. A number of scientific journals have cited the potency of fish by-products as sources of bioactive peptides with anticarcinogenic potential.

The antioxidant, anticancer, antiproliferative activities of novel bioactive peptides isolated from fish by-products make them potentially eligible for listing as nutriceuticals.

Frozen fillet processing and smoked fish

Enzymatic processing also offers advantages to fish fillet processors. Enzymes can be used to reduce thawing loss when processing frozen fillets, to preserve color in trout and salmon even after freezing and thawing, and to increase the weight of smoked, oil-rich fish.

Explore the benefits

Produce high-value, protein-rich seafood protein hydrolysates with microbial enzymes. Enzymes are natural and environmentally friendly processing aids that offer high yield, high processability and reduce process time, energy and costs. Seafood protein hydrolysates or extracts are valuable ingredients that can be used as protein fortifiers, natural flavors and flavor enhancers across a wide range of products in food & beverages as well as pet food and animal feed.

Get the free brochure to learn more about microbial enzymes for seafood protein hydrolysates processing.

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Increase yield and save costs

The enzymatic process increases yield and develops higher-quality fish-derived products. This gentle but highly effective process reduces viscosity and thus saves on energy use. It reduces cleaning costs, since treated fish is less likely to stick to surfaces.

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