Lerøy to use chicken by-products in salmon feed

Lerøy is the first major Norwegian salmon company to make such a move. The initiative is being carried out in partnership with its feed supplier Cargill-EWOS.

The salmon producer says that adding chicken by-products will help to lower environmental impact and reduce the carbon footprint of its feed by up to 16%.

Anne Hilde Midttveit, Head of Sustainability and Quality at the Lerøy Seafood Group, said that feed is one of the largest emission drivers in aquaculture, and it was therefore important to find more sustainable alternatives.

She added: “To achieve our ambitious goal of a 46% reduction in climate emissions by 2030, we must intensify our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from feed.

“We are proud to be early adopters of this large-scale initiative in Norway, and we believe that we must act now to meet the challenges of the future. Through collaboration and innovation, we can find new solutions for a more sustainable seafood industry.”

Lerøy said the main benefits from its move are: a significant  cut in greenhouse CO₂ emissions, a sustainable use for parts of the chicken that otherwise would not be used, better quality feed and reduced dependence on soy imports.

Lise Andreasen, Cargill Sales Director, said: “We are pleased to be able to do this project together with Lerøy, one of our most ambitious customers when it comes to sustainability initiatives. Chicken meal increases the supply of good and nutritious feed ingredients that are well suited for fish.”