Seafood value chain transparency: BioMar launches DNA testing

11 Nov 2019 --- Sustainable aquaculture company BioMar has developed an advanced DNA-technology testing for marine ingredients in collaboration with Norway-based Orivo. The testing platform determines the species composition of marine ingredients derived from fish, krill, shellfish and algae with a high level of precision as it is able to detect the presence of even very small amounts of DNA. BioMar believes that DNA-testing of marine ingredients in the aquaculture industry is a natural answer to industry calls for improved transparency and traceability in seafood value chains. The test will be commercially available from 2020.

As it stands, wild fish stocks are depleting. Supporting the development of DNA-testing of marine ingredients is, therefore, the next step in BioMar’s commitment to responsible sourcing of marine raw materials, says the company. 

As a result, BioMar has improved the sustainability profile of its sourced fisheries by supporting science-based certification schemes (IFFO RS, MSC and ASC) and by developing alternative raw materials, such as vegetable protein and microalgae for marine omega 3s.

“Reports of fraud in many of the world’s largest seafood markets highlights the importance of accurate and reliable traceability data throughout the value chain. BioMar will now be able to genetically test whether the species composition in a sample of raw material matches the reported composition on the traceability certificate,” explains Vidar Gundersen, Sustainability Director at BioMar.

“We already have a great deal of trust in our suppliers and understands that both have a responsibility as stewards of the oceans. As such, we expect this new DNA-based test to play a crucial role in efforts focused on building consumer and stakeholder trust,” he notes. 

Speaking with FoodIngredientsFirst, Gundersen says “the testing took a while, we needed to ensure we had the right methodologies and were looking into the different species. We used fishmeal as it contains DNA, however it would be much harder with fish oil, for example.”

According to Gundersen “this type of testing isn’t key right now, but hopefully in the future it will be.”

Fraud in the seafood industry “exceeds more than 40 percent,” he notes. “At BioMar, we do not want to be associated with this. We want to be transparent so that our customers and our farmers can have trust in us,” Gundersen explains. 

“We aim to be open and build trust through transparency,” he affirms. 

After several years of dedicated R&D effort, the system has been thoroughly tested and optimized to produce reliable, accurate and reproducible results. 

Setting up routines and procedures within the company to test these raw materials will happen in 2020. Gundersen says “2020 will be the ‘pilot year’ for this to catch on. It will most likely be an emerging type of testing, but hopefully in two to three years, it could become a standard way of testing,” he notes.

“To have BioMar, one of the largest and most innovative aquaculture feed producers, join as our first client in this area has been key,” says Svein Erik Haugmo, CEO of Orivo.

“We greatly appreciate the patience and faith it has shown during the development and testing stage of the technology. Its commitment to this project is a sign that the service we are now providing is of value to the feed industry, and we hope this is just the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration,” he adds.

Haugmo also reveals that Orivo is looking to increase its footprint in the feed industry.

“Together with BioMar, we have started working on selected feed ingredients, but these represent just a small part of the many industry-specific issues that we think can be solved with our technology. We are currently working very hard on developing tests that can address all of these issues, and we plan to launch these consecutively in the near future as soon as they are ready for the market,” concludes Haugmo.

By Elizabeth Green