Cargill, the global agricultural supply company, has entered an agreement with Newark-based White Dog Labs to develop sustainable alternatives to fishmeal in aqua feed.
The deal gives Cargill access to ProTyton, a patented single-cell protein developed by White Dog Labs that is produced by fermentation with corn feedstock.
The protein is set to ship out from White Dog Labs' demo facility in Sutherland, Nebraska in 2020.
"This agreement underlines our commitment to sustainable aquaculture and discovering new and strategic ingredients that will help feed the world in a safe and responsible way," said Adriano Marcon, president of Cargill's aqua nutrition business. "ProTyton offers a good source of protein for fish and shrimp, an affordable feed ingredient for farmers and a sustainable option for the planet that lessens our reliance on fishmeal-which we know to be a finite resource."
Starting off Cargill will offer ProTyton in salmon feed, with shrimp and other species on the horizon. In trials, salmon fed a diet containing ProTytonâ„¢ achieved a growth performance comparable to salmon on a conventional diet.
"We're honored to partner with Cargill to lead the industry in the application of highly scalable, alternative proteins for aquaculture," said Bryan Tracy, chief executive officer, White Dog Labs.
The agreement follows another collaboration for White Dog Labs. This summer the firm announced a strategic partnership with InnovaFeed to scale up and jointly market fish feed made with insect protein.
