Development of horse bean protein raw material for fish feed

Dietary guidelines encourage us to eat more fish, however, we cannot boost wild fish catches. A viable solution is sustainable fish farming.

In Denmark, our focus is on farming salmonids, which require high-protein feed. Traditionally, this protein has come from fishmeal but is increasingly being replaced by plant-based protein ingredients, particularly imported soy. Unfortunately, soy production is linked to deforestation and increased CO₂ emissions. Moreover, geopolitical tensions affect the stability of the protein supply chain, highlighting the need for sustainable, locally-sourced alternatives.

Horse beans (Vicia faba) are a promising alternative due to their high protein content and their ability to fix nitrogen, which reduces the need for fertilizers. However, to use horse beans as a viable protein source in salmonid feed, they need to be processed to achieve a protein content similar to that of soy protein concentrate (SPC).

The current project aims to develop a high-protein concentrate from horse beans (HPC) that can be commercialized as a new protein raw ingredient for fish feed. This will involve careful selection of horse bean varieties and breeding lines known for their high protein content and low levels of antinutrients (ANF). The horse beans will undergo advanced mechanical processing, and the final product will be incorporated into fish feed and tested in feeding studies with salmonids.

The project is composed of a strong consortium consisting of the companies Nordic Seed A/S (plant breeding), Aarhus Protein A/S (fava bean processing) and BioMar A/S (fish feed company), and two university partners: DTU Aqua and AU-FOOD.

Funding
The project is funded by the Green Development and Demonstration Programme (GUDP) administered by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark.

Research area: Aquaculture