News and articles

Feed from the sea gives healthier farmed animals and tastier meat

Feed from the sea gives healthier farmed animals and tastier meat

Everything from sheep to salmon to chickens that eat seaweed can benefit.

Farmed salmon can grow on Norwegian spruce trees instead of Brazilian soybeans

Farmed salmon can grow on Norwegian spruce trees instead of Brazilian soybeans

Norwegian spruce can mitigate Brazilian deforestation. Farmed salmon will soon eat feed that comes from Norwegian forests instead of soybeans that have been transported halfway around the world.

Local and sustainable protein sources for weaned piglets

Local and sustainable protein sources for weaned piglets

Piglets eating yeast grown on sugar from spruce trees have a healthier gut at weaning, new research shows.

Jeleel Opeyemi Agboola, the winner of the Nutreco’s 2022 Young Researchers Prize

Jeleel Opeyemi Agboola, the winner of the Nutreco’s 2022 Young Researchers Prize

Jeleel Opeyemi Agboola, a researcher in Foods of Norway, won the prestigious Nutreco’s 2022 Young Researchers Prize

Canadian researcher joins Foods of Norway’s important work on novel fish feeds

Canadian researcher joins Foods of Norway’s important work on novel fish feeds

With her extensive background in fish nutrition, Jamie Marie Hooft aims to find out how novel feed ingredients affect growth performance and health of fish. The researcher from Canada recently moved to Norway to join the centre for research-based innovation Foods of Norway at Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU).

The future of Norwegian aquaculture lies in the trees

The future of Norwegian aquaculture lies in the trees

Today, Norwegian aquaculture is dependent on imported feed ingredients. However, yeast grown on sugars from Norwegian spruce trees may replace imported proteins and can even make the fish healthier and more robust.

Foods of Norway at ISFNF2022 in Sorrento

Foods of Norway at ISFNF2022 in Sorrento

A group from Foods of Norway travelled in June to Sorrento in Italy to participate in the 20th International Symposium on Fish Nutrition and Feeding. The group contributed with five oral presentations and one poster, presenting results mainly from Foods of Norway and the spin-off project Resilient Salmon.

Feeding our animals Norwegian seaweed gives better meat to eat

Feeding our animals Norwegian seaweed gives better meat to eat

Local and sustainable food is in demand, and with the world’s second longest coastline, seaweed can play an important role in Norway's self-sufficiency. Feeding our cattle with sugar kelp can have great benefits for the environment, the animals and for us humans.

Can fish grow on trees? Yes!

Can fish grow on trees? Yes!

Yeast produced from tree sugars can be used as a valuable feed ingredient to promote growth and health in Atlantic salmon, new research shows.

Feeding pigs yeast from trees can promote healthy gut bacteria

Feeding pigs yeast from trees can promote healthy gut bacteria

Feeding pigs a novel diet with yeast from spruce trees as the protein source may have a positive impact on their intestinal health.

Is a healthier fish a happier fish? What the fish eats may impact its behaviour

Is a healthier fish a happier fish? What the fish eats may impact its behaviour

What feed ingredients we use may be linked to how fish behave in stressful situations. This could have significant implications for the aquaculture industry.

Insects grown on organic leftovers can become valuable fish feed

Insects grown on organic leftovers can become valuable fish feed

New research shows that insects grown on low quality organic material can be converted into high quality feed ingredients. This knowledge can help to facilitate the circular bioeconomy while feeding the increasing global population.

Closing in on a marketable solution: Feeding salmon yeast from spruce trees

Closing in on a marketable solution: Feeding salmon yeast from spruce trees

Locally produced feed based on sustainable, novel ingredients is slowly getting closer to market. At the Norwegian shore, at Dønna in Sandnessjøen, salmon are now being given feed based on by-products from the Norwegian forest.

From Chile to Norway – aquaculture in a global perspective

From Chile to Norway – aquaculture in a global perspective

Foods of Norway brings together scientists from all over the world. Immunologist Byron Morales-Lange from Chile is one of them. “Working with research in an international environment is a very enriching approach to improving knowledge”, he says.

Growing yeast from trees  – first successful scale-up of microbial feed ingredients from sustainable resources

Growing yeast from trees – first successful scale-up of microbial feed ingredients from sustainable resources

Yeast made from Norwegian spruce trees is a high-quality feed ingredient that can replace imported protein. A fruitful collaboration between industry and research has for the first time successfully achieved a large-scale production of yeast from local, sustainable resources

Reducing salmon climate footprint through novel Norwegian feed

Reducing salmon climate footprint through novel Norwegian feed

Through their report, “Råvareløftet”, Bellona aims to change the Norwegian salmon industry, through novel, more sustainable solutions. Foods of Norway has participated in the report.

Can we grow chicks with feed made from sticks?

Can we grow chicks with feed made from sticks?

Six pens are filled with tiny, fluffy yellow chickens. For the next five weeks they will hopefully help pave the way to a more sustainable agriculture in Norway – one foot at a time.

Unveiling the hidden value of Norwegian seaweed

Unveiling the hidden value of Norwegian seaweed

Seaweed can be a lot more than a vegetable. Researchers in Foods of Norway at NMBU aim to find out how. For instance with its potential to make our food better and our animals healthier.

Finnish start-up company eniferBio partners with Foods of Norway

Finnish start-up company eniferBio partners with Foods of Norway

Based on methods stemming back to the 1970s, the Finnish company eniferBio has developed a new and sustainable production process for a high-quality fish feed ingredient. Foods of Norway is very excited to have this expertise at hand as the start-up now becomes a partner in the centre.

New report on the life cycle of yeast from trees

New report on the life cycle of yeast from trees

The report “Life Cycle Assessment of Yeast from Spruce” has been carried out by Norsus on behalf of Foods of Norway, evaluating the environmental impact of the production of yeast from spruce trees.

Local feed resources benefit piglets at weaning

Local feed resources benefit piglets at weaning

A healthy gut is crucial when piglets are separated from their mother and introduced to solid foods. Novel, more sustainable feed resources can help them to better handle the transition.

Making fish feed from local waste streams

Making fish feed from local waste streams

A new spin-off project in Foods of Norway will strengthen the bioeconomy in the Nordic region by developing sustainable feed ingredients from locally available food-, agriculture-, and forestry waste streams.

A common Nordic focus on alternative protein sources

A common Nordic focus on alternative protein sources

Alternative protein is one of the trends highlighted by the Nordic Council of Ministers in a new report. The consensus is that further development is still dependent on the support of policymakers, especially if the aim is strengthened initiatives throughout the Nordic and Baltic region.

Feeding lambs seaweed gives us better health

Feeding lambs seaweed gives us better health

Seaweed in the lamb’s trough improves meat quality and shelf life – and even benefits our health.

Fish on four wheels

Fish on four wheels

Will tomorrow’s fish feed grow on trees? 450 small fish in seawater tanks by the Oslo Fjord will hopefully bring us a little closer to the answer.

Healthier pigs with local feed

Healthier pigs with local feed

In the event of closed borders and restrictions on imports, how do we ensure food security for our four-legged friends? New research shows that locally produced feed resources can be just as good, and even better, than those we import from overseas.

Er det et marked for gjærbasert protein?

Er det et marked for gjærbasert protein?

Gjærbasert encelleprotein er noe av det Foods of Norway jobber mest med. Men hva er markedspotensialet til denne type protein til bruk i dyrefôr?

Piglets and broiler chickens can grow and thrive on Norwegian proteins

Piglets and broiler chickens can grow and thrive on Norwegian proteins

Piglets and broiler chickens perform just as well or even better when fed novel feeds based on protein such as yeast, produced from Norwegian spruce trees.

Lallemand, world leader in yeast fermentation, joins Foods of Norway

Lallemand, world leader in yeast fermentation, joins Foods of Norway

Lallemand, a global company with strong expertise in fermentation technology, is now an official partner of Foods of Norway, strengthening the development of innovative feeds for aquaculture and agriculture.

Pigs and salmon can eat proteins generated from Norwegian wood and byproducts

Pigs and salmon can eat proteins generated from Norwegian wood and byproducts

Less than two thirds of farm animals and fish end up as human food. Unused biomass from the fish and meat industry can become high quality feed for salmon and pigs and increase sustainability in food production, new research finds.

This cheese can be made from trees

This cheese can be made from trees

In the future, we can make cheese and ice cream from Norwegian spruce.

New partner in Foods of Norway:  – A frontrunner in sustainability

New partner in Foods of Norway: – A frontrunner in sustainability

BioMar brings over 50 years of experience with feed and sustainability in aquaculture to Foods of Norway. 

New findings can revolutionize aquaculture

New findings can revolutionize aquaculture

Salmon that makes efficient use of its feed is crucial in order to ensure sustainable growth in aquaculture. Hanne Dvergedal in Foods of Norway has discovered a pioneering method to detect the most efficient “bodybuilders”.

Millions in new funding to combat salmon mortality and sustainability issues in food production

Millions in new funding to combat salmon mortality and sustainability issues in food production

NMBU has received 20 million NOK in funding for two spin-off projects for Foods of Norway: one on salmon health and one on the sustainability of novel feeds.

Joining forces to increase food security

Joining forces to increase food security

With one foot in industry and the other in academia, PhD student Ana Cruz is taking our insights into yeast as an animal feedstuff one step forward.

Woody feed one step closer to the market

Woody feed one step closer to the market

This autumn, the development of novel, Norwegian feed ingredients has been brought one step closer to commercialization. – We now need to move from academia to industry, says professor Vincent Eijsink in Foods of Norway.

Sheep + seaweed = food security?

Sheep + seaweed = food security?

Farm animals eating seaweed might be the future, but will the meat taste any different? Foods of Norway is about to find out.

 – We wish to be part of a Norwegian protein industry

– We wish to be part of a Norwegian protein industry

Denofa AS, the leading importer and processor of sustainable and non-GMO soy for animal compound feed in Norway, has signed up as a partner in Foods of Norway.

Hooked on fish health (and a healthy planet)

Hooked on fish health (and a healthy planet)

She knows a great deal about salmon. Researcher Brankica Djordjevic tests and evaluates how the novel feed ingredients developed by Foods of Norway affect salmon`s health and growth performance.

Newsletter summer 2018

Newsletter summer 2018

Wondering what`s new in Foods of Norway since 2017? Here are some not-to-miss highlights from an exciting half year. 

Subscribe to our Newsletter!

Subscribe to our Newsletter!

Stay informed about what`s happening in Foods of Norway! Sign up to our newsletter, and we`ll keep you posted about our research and upcoming events.

Studying cells to improve fish health

Studying cells to improve fish health

By analysing cells from fish used in Foods of Norway`s feed trials, Peng Lei aims to find out how novel feed ingredients are affecting fish health.

From Indian oil to green fish feed in Norway

From Indian oil to green fish feed in Norway

Working for a big oil company in India, engineer Sandeep Sharma longed for a more sustainable career-path. Three years later he is defending his PhD-thesis at NMBU with ground-breaking results on novel fish feed derived from seaweed and spruce trees.

PhD position in monogastric animal nutrition

PhD position in monogastric animal nutrition

NMBU`s Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences (IHA) is currently inviting applications for a 3-year PhD position in monogastric animal nutrition and feed ingredient processing. 

We are hiring!

We are hiring!

Are you our new PhD-student within sustainability of livestock systems? Apply now and come work with us!

Kelp breeding – Norway`s next salmon adventure?

Kelp breeding – Norway`s next salmon adventure?

The sugar kelp is a «super-organism» that can be used in animal feed and a wide range of other important products. Still, genetic improvement is required to make cultivation more profitable. A new spin-off from Foods of Norway aims to make this happen. 

PhD position in fish nutrition

PhD position in fish nutrition

NMBU`s Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences (IHA) is currently inviting applications for a 3-year PhD position in fish nutrition. 

Forest owners excited about woody pig-diet

Forest owners excited about woody pig-diet

Piglets thriving on a new ‘woody’ diet represent a big opportunity for the forest industry. Foods of Norway`s piglets and researchers will soon be starring in a film made by the Norwegian Forest Owners’ Federation.

Innovation through partnerships

 

To attract industrial partners, research institutions should aim to be creative, practically inclined and on top of their game, says Foods of Norway partner Borregaard AS. 

Milena the multitasker

Milena the multitasker

Sometimes she`s wearing the white coat herself, and sometimes she`s planning the experiments of others. Engineer Milena Bjelanovic is involved in several of Foods of Norway`s work packages.

Great interest in Foods of Norway

Great interest in Foods of Norway

The interest and feedback have been overwhelmingly positive, says director Margareth Øverland after promoting Foods of Norway at an international conference in Amsterdam.

 

Invitasjon til frokostseminar 9. mars 2018

Invitasjon til frokostseminar 9. mars 2018

Samarbeid mellom forskning og industri. Hvordan fange opp innovasjonspotensialet i forskningen og gjøre det attraktivt for industrien å bidra? 

Animal diets, health and less pollution

Animal diets, health and less pollution

How can we reduce the environmental impact of food production by developing new protein sources for farm animals? Thats the question that motivates Leidy Lagos, Foods of Norway researcher at NMBU's Faculty of Biosciences.

Senior researcher position in animal nutrition

Senior researcher position in animal nutrition

Foods of Norway is currently inviting applications for a full-time, 5-year senior researcher position. The research project involves evaluating novel feed ingredients in diets for monogastric animals and farmed fish.

Newsletter 4 2017 Foods of Norway

Newsletter 4 2017 Foods of Norway

2017 has been a productive year for Foods of Norway. This newsletter gives you an update on some of our research and outreach activities.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the best for the holiday season!

Yeast in diet for weaning pigs

Yeast in diet for weaning pigs

For piglets, the time around weaning is very stressful. Away from their mother, they have to adapt to other feed than milk. Could the use of yeast as a highly digestible protein source ease gastro-intestinal problems like diarrhea in newly weaned piglets?

Invitation - PhD defence and Foods of Norway seminar

Invitation - PhD defence and Foods of Norway seminar

Opportunities and challenges using rapeseed as a feed ingredient for pigs.

The Gut Detectives

The Gut Detectives

Foods of Norway aims to feed fish and farm animals using new ingredients produced from trees and macro algae. A shift to novel feed, however, is no quick fix. Detailed high-resolution studies of individual animals are performed to detect effects. Many of the answers can be found in the animal gut.

Research to improve grass silage quality and digestibility

Research to improve grass silage quality and digestibility

100 farms all over Norway are involved when Foods of Norway and TINE collaborate to improve the nutritional quality of forage.

SINTEF and NMBU join forces on seaweed

SINTEF and NMBU join forces on seaweed

The future prospects for value creation from seaweed are promising. Innovation and commercialization depend heavily on collaboration across sectors. Foods of Norway and SINTEF Ocean will continue to exchange knowledge on seaweed.

Can piglets eat trees?

Can piglets eat trees?

Our research has recently demonstrated that salmon thrives on a feed with proteins derived from trees. How will small pigs react?

ERA-Net boosts NMBU’s nutrition research

ERA-Net boosts NMBU’s nutrition research

Out of 29 submitted full proposals, “SusPig” has been approved by the ERA-Net SusAn Co-funded call. “To be part of this cross-sectional, international consortium is a great boost for the NMBU”, Margareth Øverland says.

Foods of Norway visits Chile for mutual knowledge exchange

Foods of Norway visits Chile for mutual knowledge exchange

Researchers from Foods of Norway visit the University of Chile 11-18 November. The aim is to maximize the use of biomass.

Environmental challenges aggravate the negative effects of a plant-based diet in fish

Environmental challenges aggravate the negative effects of a plant-based diet in fish

Aquaculture diet has become increasingly plant based. In addition, the industry faces environmental changes. Recent findings in salmonids when the two challenges are combined, give cause for concern.

What characterizes a feed-efficient fish?

What characterizes a feed-efficient fish?

By 2030, more than 50% of all fish and seafood products will originate from aquaculture. One way to increase production is to select the most efficient animals. Hanne Dvergedal is developing a direct selection method, focusing on genetic selection.

Beneficial research collaboration between Foods of Norway and Chile

Beneficial research collaboration between Foods of Norway and Chile

Sandeep Sharma and Cristina Ravanal have worked intensively together for one month, exchanging insights in enzymology, fermentation and chemical characterization of seaweed.

Seminar 27.10: Fish feed for food security

Seminar 27.10: Fish feed for food security

We are pleased to invite you to the seminar: FISH FEED FOR FOOD SECURITY. The seminar will be held in conjunction with Peyman Mosberian Tanha’s defence for his PhD degree on Friday October 28. The title of his thesis is "Interactive effects of dietary and environmental challenges on digestive function and intestinal homeostasis in rainbow trout".

 

Boom and boost for seaweed in the North Atlantic

Boom and boost for seaweed in the North Atlantic

Foods of Norway partner Seaweed Energy Solutions (SES) is a pioneer in Norwegian macroalgae production. Today, the value creation from macroalgae is 1.5 million NOK. By 2050, the estimates are 40 billion NOK.

Feed meal with 5 percent macroalgae

Feed meal with 5 percent macroalgae

Small, black dots in the pellets feed meal are the visible signs of feed containing 5 percent macroalgae recently produced at the Center for Feed Technology (Fôrtek). Foods of Norway’s Master Student Rouzbeh Keihani follows the process closely.

Innovative enzyme research

Innovative enzyme research

Two new studies published in Science and PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America) describe innovative enzyme research which can revolutionize biorefinery processes. Foods of Norway’s professor Vincent Eijsink is one of the authors of the two scientific articles.

Developed genomic selection – honoured with prestigious award

Developed genomic selection – honoured with prestigious award

NMBU-professor Theo Meuwissen has had a major impact on the genetic improvement of livestock and crops. On May 1st he receives the John J. Carty Award for the Advancement of Science in Washington DC.

Small-scale biorefinery ready for trials

Small-scale biorefinery ready for trials

Processing technology is essential to develop novel feeds. Kiira Vuoristo has been responsible for developing NMBU’s new fermentation platform. “The platform is ready to be implemented and we can soon start our first trial”, she says.

Aquaculture can feed the world

Aquaculture can feed the world

Aquaculture is by far the most efficient form of animal food production and can play a key role in feeding the World in a sustainable way.

Pork ribs get greener

Pork ribs get greener

Imported soya is used as one of the major protein sources in diets for pigs. But now pigs will become more environmentally friendly.

From food waste to valuable products

From food waste to valuable products

Norway alone generates annually 701000 tons of wet organic waste. We call it waste, but really they are valuable co-products that can be turned into valuable resources. Foods of Norway aims to upgrade co-products from meat and salmon to valuable products.

Successful kick-off for Foods of Norway

Successful kick-off for Foods of Norway

Foods of Norway was launched on October 8, the first Centre for Research-based Innovation (SFI) for the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). – I am so happy, so proud, said Mari Sundli Tveit, rector of NMBU.

Partners ready for Foods of Norway

Partners ready for Foods of Norway

September marks the official opening of Foods of Norway where researchers and industry partners will collaborate on how Norway’s extensive bioresources can provide a basis for novel feed ingredients.