The Future Fish Shows That Circular Feed Works

As the first product developed within the innovation project The Feed of the Future for Fish, Pigs, Poultry and Laying Hens, Swedish-farmed rainbow trout has been sold in selected stores and restaurants for a few months. Now the season’s fish is sold out and fully served. So how did it go?

The ‘Future Fish’ was launched in mid-September and involved nine Hemköp stores in Stockholm as well as restaurants including Dashi, Gothia Towers, Heaven 23, Fotografiska, Sushi Sho, and Urban Deli. The goal was to test whether conventional fish feed could be replaced with an innovative, circular feed in which the protein sources soy and fishmeal were swapped for insects, mycoprotein, and mussels.

These ingredients were chosen to support a sustainable food system – without imported soy or fishmeal – by making use of resources that already exist. Insects are raised on by-products from the food industry, mycoprotein converts forest residues into protein, and mussels help reduce eutrophication in the Baltic Sea.

This spring, several animal species will be fed with the Feed of the Future. Chicken and pork raised on locally produced circular feed will be served at selected restaurants in March–April. Eggs from laying hens that have eaten Feed of the Future will also be tested.

So how did things go with the Future Fish? We spoke with our project partners, and project manager Christian Sjöland.

Christian, how would you summarize the launch of the Future Fish?

– The trial has met all our expectations. The researchers’ tests produced strong results, and the fish received high marks from sensory experts. Sales went well, and both staff and customers have been curious and positive. But most importantly, we now know the solution works. We can confirm that circular feed proteins for Swedish-farmed fish are the future. Now we’re gearing up for chicken, pork, and eggs this spring, says Christian Sjöland at Axfoundation.

We can confirm that circular feed proteins for Swedish-farmed fish are the future. Now we’re gearing up for chicken, pork, and eggs.

– Christian Sjöland, Project Manager, Future Food, Axfoundation

The other animal species will undergo the same types of tests as the fish. This includes nutritional analyses in which researchers evaluate how the protein ingredients affect nutrient digestibility and the animals’ growth.

Hanna Carlberg, a researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and project coordinator of the Future Feed project, has together with her colleagues worked on future feed ingredients and their suitability for inclusion in fish feed.

Hanna, what have the tests shown in the Feed of the Future project?

– Previous growth trials have been conducted using one protein ingredient at a time to help us understand the potential of each feed ingredient. The rainbow trout farmed in Älvdalen has been compared with a control group, and we have seen that it grows just as well as the control fish, says Hanna Carlberg at SLU.

The rainbow trout were raised in Österdalälven (in Dalarna) at Älvdalslax. The family-run company was also a project partner in the earlier project Five Tons of Green Fish on the Plate, which began in 2019 when insects were approved as a fish feed ingredient. In the current project, Feed of the Future for Poultry, Fish, and Pork, Älvdalslax – run by Marit and Anders Beronius – has produced just over six tons of fish.

Now the fish have gone into winter dormancy. Anders, how would you summarize the project?

– Of course it feels meaningful to be part of developing a more sustainable food system. The feed issue may not be obvious to everyone, but that’s where we can make a difference. This feed is resource-efficient, built on circular flows, and reduces pressure on biodiversity. It feels absolutely right for us, and we would love to see it continue, says Anders Beronius at Älvdalslax.

The feed issue may not be obvious to everyone, but that’s where we can make a difference.

– Anders Beronius, Fish farmer, Älvdalslax

As soon as the fish began being harvested in early September, they were sent to the School of Hospitality, Culinary Arts and Meal Science, Campus Grythyttan, for tasting by sensory experts. The fish was described as having “a fresh, nutty flavor with a juicy, smooth texture that melts in your mouth”.

Chef Frida Ronge of Strawberry Hotels, specializing in Nordic Japanese cuisine, agrees that the fish has high sensory and gastronomic quality. In the lunch menu she created for the EAT Foundation in early October, she prepared a Nordic Sushi Bowl featuring Swedish rainbow trout raised on Feed of the Future.

Frida, what was it like to work with the fish, from a chef’s perspective?

– It had a beautiful texture, the right amount of fat, and held together when cut. The visual aspect is also important, especially when serving semi-raw fish. Guests were curious and very pleased. This fish gets a five-out-of-five rating from me, says Frida Ronge.

Several chefs who have prepared the rainbow trout emphasize the need for sustainable fish ingredients. One of them is Fredrik Andersson, head chef at Gothia Towers in Gothenburg.

Fredrik, why did you want to serve the Future Fish?

– There is strong demand for sustainable food – especially from large clients booking sustainable conferences and congresses. But in the end, quality is what matters. This rainbow trout is a fantastic product. Flavor-wise it’s elegant, without off-flavors. Fish raised in cramped conditions can become overly fatty, which affects taste. These fish have moved naturally in running water. We want to see more of this, says Fredrik Andersson at Gothia Towers.

In the end, quality is what matters. This rainbow trout is a fantastic product.

– Fredrik Andersson, Culinary Executive Chef, Gothia Towers

The Feed of the Future project is a joint effort involving 25 partners – from researchers to companies across the entire value chain. Fiskhallen Sorunda has gone above and beyond in this project – not only filleting and distributing the fish, but also packaging and applying custom labels to every fillet destined for Hemköp stores. Product manager Mattias Dernelid has been a key player from the start and has involved the entire staff.

Mattias, what has your experience of the fish been, from a processing perspective?

– Everything has gone far beyond expectations. Those handling the fish say it’s fantastic and easy to work with – like cutting through butter. Packaging fish for Hemköp took a lot of time; it was an extra effort, but we knew that and got up to speed quickly. Customers are happy, and the trial has been incredibly successful from start to finish. It creates a sense of pride among the staff to contribute to such a high-quality product, says Mattias Dernelid at Fiskhallen Sorunda.

Once the fish arrived in stores, it was important to train the staff. A short education film was created, and Axfoundation’s project managers held an information session at each store. This made a big difference, says Anna Lönnemar, Sustainability Manager at Hemköp.

Anna, what did the staff and customers think of the Future Fish?

– From the very beginning, the stores have been positive about selling the fish, and everyone has felt a sense of engagement and pride in being part of such an innovative and sustainable product. Axfoundation’s presence in each store, explaining the innovation, was crucial for understanding what makes it unique and for then being able to pass that on to customers. The fish has sold well, and customers have been curious, says Anna Lönnemar at Hemköp.

The fish has sold well, and customers have been curious.

– Anna Lönnemar, Sustainability Manager, Hemköp

In summary, the Future Fish has shown that circular food solutions work in practice. This is encouraging for project manager Christian Sjöland, but the job has only just begun. The long-term goal is to achieve continuous production of a circular, resource-efficient feed at a competitive price.

So far, the project has subsidized the cost of the feed – necessary when working with innovative ingredients at small volumes. For true scaling to happen, Christian points to feed availability, market demand, and legislation that supports circular feed production.

Christian, what are the challenges, and what comes next?

– We need the right market conditions and supportive regulations to enable large-scale production of Swedish protein ingredients for feed. This was only the first step; the next steps are chicken, pork, and eggs. Then the supply of circular feed must increase and demand must grow. When that happens, the price will follow and become competitive. What we can say today is that it’s possible to produce soy- and fishmeal-free feed based on locally produced circular ingredients – and that the fish thrive, taste great, and are appealing. That’s huge, concludes Christian Sjöland.

Read more: The Feed of the Future for Fish, Pigs, Poultry and Laying hens.