Improving fish value and human health via algal

Improving fish value and human health via algal derived omega-3 DHA

Jonny Lester, Humanativ

Greater consumption of oily fish and elevated blood levels of the very long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are associated with a reduced incidence of heart attacks, arrhythmias, strokes, depression, cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. Despite this stark reminder of the critical importance of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, consumers consistently show low EPA+DHA status (Stark et al., 2016). Over 80% of the world population does not consume the recommended 250 mg EPA+DHA/d (Micha et al., 2014), predominantly due to low consumption of oily fish. A recent study found that just one-quarter of the UK population consumed oily fish, dropping to only 4.4% of 4 to 11-year-olds (Derbyshire, 2019).

EPA and DHA are important throughout life: in utero, in infancy, childhood, adulthood and into older age. As indicated above, EPA and DHA are particularly important for adults to promote cardiac and brain health. For children, EPA and DHA are considered especially important for the brain. A number of studies with children have demonstrated improvements in

Figure 1. Groups in the double-blinded, randomized controlled study with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.

cognition and mental health in children whose oily fish intake, and blood DHA levels, increased (Sorensen et al., 2015; Teisen et al., 2020).

Up to now, oily fish such as salmon has been the major source of EPA and DHA. But given the insufficient intake of oily fish, we need to afford consumers more choice. To this end, we should consider the possibilities to bio-enrich more fish species and non-fish species with EPA and DHA. Humanativ was thus inspired to find a way of naturally enriching foods that are both widely consumed and relatively affordable – initially chicken and eggs, followed by turkey and pork, with work now continuing on lamb and veal.

The bioavailability of EPA and DHA from oily fish exceeds that of many supplements (Elvevoll et al., 2006). But is the DHA in non-traditional bio-enriched foods such as chicken and eggs bioavailable to consumers in the same way that it is in oily fish?

Animal nutrition specialists Devenish commissioned a double-blinded, randomized controlled study with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland to answer this question (Stanton et al., 2020). One hundred and sixtyone participants were split into four groups (Fig. 1). They each consumed at least three portions per week of chicken and eggs, either standard foods or naturally enriched with omega-3 DHA, for six months. The omega-3 DHA enriched chicken and eggs were achieved by including algal-derived omega-3 DHA (OmegaPro) in the diet of the animals.

Consumption of omega-3 DHA enriched chicken and eggs reduced by 65% the number of participants with a very low (=very high risk) omega-3 index (Fig. 2, color red) and reduced blood pressure by 3 mm Hg. This would be expected to translate to a 15% reduction in cardiovascular mortality. The findings prove that similar to oily fish, the DHA in non-traditional bioenriched foods such as chicken and eggs is bioavailable to consumers.

Consumer research conducted by Humanativ (June 2021) in the UK showed significant interest in the concept of omega-3 enriched chicken and eggs, with 73% of respondents interested in trying the product. It also showed there was a willingness, and expectation, that there would be a price premium for such a product. Interestingly, there was also a perception of higher welfare in animals fed a diet containing omega-3 DHA.

This perception is well-founded, as well as providing a healthier product with increased levels of omega-3 DHA for the consumer, a number of advantages to the animals themselves have been observed when their diets include omega-3 DHA. In poultry, for example, a reduction in inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract was observed, accompanied by changes in the gut microbiome, namely reduced pathogenic bacteria and increased bacteria responsible for short-chain fatty acid production (McKenna et al., 2020).

Numerous studies on dietary omega-3 DHA have also shown improvements in poultry performance including growth rate, final body weight and feed conversion ratio. In fish species, EPA and DHA have been shown to be important across all life stages, supporting growth and development, health, and survival. It’s therefore little wonder that studies on the effects of omega-3 supplementation continue not only in fish but in other farmed species e.g. poultry, pork, lamb and veal that are not traditionally associated with being a source of omega-3 for consumers.

Algal oil-derived omega-3 as an alternative to fish oil

Traditionally, fish oil was used as the omega-3 DHA enrichment source. However, with a finite availability, and global expansion of the aquaculture industry, the need for alternative sources of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids in aquaculture is greater than ever.

Recent research has shown that algal oil provides several advantages over fish oil. High DHA algal oil

Figure 2. Distribution of the red cell omega-3 index of the participants in the four groups at 6 months (Stanton et al., 2020).

reduces the inclusion rate in the diet and provides a highly consistent ingredient for feed formulation. Several studies have shown that issues with taste and taint in non-fish species can also be reduced with the use of algal oil compared to fish oil. In terms of sustainability, which is of increasing importance to consumers, algal oil is seen as a much more responsible source of omega-3 compared to fish oil, as it reduces the dependence on ocean catch.

Increasing opportunities within aquaculture

Aquaculture provides more than 50% of the total global requirement of fish for human consumption and is playing an increasingly important role in global food security, providing a “superfood” that supplies high levels of essential nutrients and a rich source of EPA and DHA. While oily fish are seen as being the major source of EPA and DHA, other farmed species such as carp, tilapia and shrimp, which represent more than 80% of global aquaculture production, present a huge opportunity to ensure food and nutritional security for the wider global community. A number of studies have demonstrated the possibility of enriching tilapia and carp fillets with long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (Stoneham et al., 2018; Sobczak et al., 2020). These species also represent an opportunity for producers to further improve their value by increasing omega-3 content and achieving higher prices in the marketplace.

Enriching more fish species, as well as non-fish species, with algal-derived omega-3 DHA will encourage greater consumption of this critically important nutrient. This has the potential to make a significant impact on health at a global level, and on healthcare budgets. If multiple options for consumers were available, making the healthy sustainable choice would increasingly become the easy choice.

Humanativ is a joint venture between Devenish Nutrition and Mara Renewables Corporation, dedicated to creating natural food produce that positively influences human health.

References available on request.

More information: Jonny Lester

Head of Sales Humanativ

The three dimensions of aquaculture’s sustainability in Africa for food safety

Dr Mustapha Aba

Dr Mustapha Aba is Aquaculture Scientific Expert from Morocco. E: aba.mustapha@gmail.com

Introduction

In Africa, agricultural development is seen as a necessity to address the food insecurity faced by many countries, especially as the continent's growing population is, in itself, a threat to food security and the environment. Sustainability of food production is a subjective term used to describe how the planet allows humans to use and benefit from goods and services in a way that does not interfere with the continued provision of these environmental services. To ensure increasing food security, sustainable agricultural innovations are needed to meet future food needs.

Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing animal production sectors in Africa. The sustainable aquaculture approach aspires to promote its sustainable development, which remains an alternative to fishing for fish production but which must be carried out with less environmental impact, economically viable and socially acceptable, the three dimensions to ensure the sustainability of aquaculture.

African aquaculture

Although Africa has the fastest growing aquaculture industry with high biophysical potential, the sector has not yet significantly contributed to sustainable food supplies and economic development. According to The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (FAO, 2020), in 2018, aquaculture production exceeded fisheries production with 82 million tonnes coming from aquaculture production, including 54.3 million tonnes of fish. The share of aquaculture in Africa has reached 2.196 million tonnes and the continent's aquaculture production is expected to grow by 48% to 3.25 million tonnes in 2030. Most of Africa's aquaculture production (99%) comes from inland freshwater systems and is mainly dominated by the cultivation of indigenous and abundant species of Nile tilapia and African catfish, while mariculture contributes only 1% of total production. Among the major causes of weakness of aquaculture in Africa are that this sector is new compared to agriculture (except in Egypt), poor aquaculture facilities, the dominance of the extensive system, poor quality of aquaculture feed, unavailability of fish seed, and lack of training in aquaculture.

Aquaculture and food security in Africa

The term “food security” was defined by FAO (1996) as “a condition when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” Through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), the world has committed to ending all forms of food and nutrition insecurity. Yet, food insecurity remains one of the most visible dimensions of poverty, particularly in Africa, which knows rapid population growth outstrips growth in fish supply.

Although fish provides 19% of animal protein intake in Africa, annual per capita fish consumption remains below global levels. Taken in the context of greater regional food insecurity and a projection that Africa's population will double by 2050, aquaculture is expected to play an important role in providing valuable animal protein-based foods to food-insecure populations,

hence the need to develop this sector in Africa to ensure food security for Africans, but in a sustainable manner to meet sustainable development goals.

Sustainable development

The concept of sustainable development was formulated in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development, created by the United Nations General Assembly, as the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This definition integrates environmental stewardship with social responsibility and economic gain, thereby presenting an understanding that exclusive focus on economic growth ignores and impedes social development and environmental protection. The approach to sustainable development has been presented as a “shared vision”, from a conceptual point of view, which has largely been represented by the conception of the “three pillars”, environmental, economic and social, and aquaculture presents favorable conditions in its means of production to be carried out in a sustainable manner in Africa.

Sustainable aquaculture for Africa

With the expansion of African aquaculture, the concept of sustainable aquaculture the key to feeding the population, and is increasingly recognized as integrating the spatial and temporal dimensions. Sustainable aquaculture focuses on the balance of the three components of sustainable development to refer to the desirable way of producing aquatic organisms.

The social dimension

Social sustainability is based on the promotion of well-being among the members of an organization from a social development perspective, with the aim of improving the living conditions of rural people, rural communities and poverty alleviation. In order to improve the nutritional quality of children and to participate in the social development of their communities, more African women need to be involved in the aquaculture sector.

The economic dimension

The impacts of aquaculture on the economy of rural communities are key issues for sustainable development policies, since the establishment of aquaculture businesses in a region can influence the availability of input factors like skilled labor, specialized suppliers, education programs, and other infrastructure. It has been reported that the establishment of commercial aquaculture is generally accompanied by a relative decline in the price of fish in markets where low-income consumers particularly benefit, which helps improve livelihoods with an economic revival of the region and the nation.

The environmental dimension

As with any food production system, increased aquaculture production will come with environmental costs. In this context, the environmental impact of aquaculture and the prospects for its sustainability have raised concerns since the early 1990s. Today, aquaculture production must be managed in an ecologically responsible and sustainable manner. For this, it is necessary to develop research in the field of fish nutritional sciences to meet the needs of aquaculture in Africa and to encourage the integration of aquaculture with agriculture to increase water productivity such as rice-fish farming, which is already successful in Africa and aquaponics systems.

Conclusion

African aquaculture, which is growing rapidly, is considered a very important source of animal food production for food security in a continent with a growing population, for this, aquaculture to be sustainable, it should have ecological, economic and social dimensions.

Training session in feeding management for fish farmers in Mali.