Sustainable utilization of zooplankton as by-products

International research project funded through the ERA-NET BlueBio Cofund.

The Biozostain consortium studied the characteristics and composition of marine zooplankton which is taken ashore as a by-catch during pelagic fishing with the aim of using the ingredients of the zooplankton to develop high-quality product prototypes for the food supplement, cosmetic- and/or nutraceutical markets in a sustainable and ethical way. The prototype development was based on the physicochemical, safety, bioactivity and metabolomic/foodomics characteristics. The feasibility and environmental impact of the production of these prototypes were also assessed by life cycle assessment (LCA).Prediction tools for identification of catching hot-spots and times for the pelagic species and associated zooplankton amount and composition were developed, as well as spectroscopic prediction tools for processing and quality optimization.
Detailed analysis of the composition and amount of zooplankton identified the variation in zooplankton composition according to species as affected by catching grounds and catching times, along with variations in the physicochemical composition of both the zooplankton and the pelagic fish processing streams. Several oil extraction techniques were tested to optimize the quality of the obtained oil from the zooplankton-rich stream, comparing cold, hot, enzyme and organic solvent extractions with regards to yield, lipid content and composition, as well as lipid oxidation and hydrolysis degradation. Cold extraction gave the most promising results regarding lipid composition, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and beneficial DHA and EPA contents. The project resulted in the prototyping of two promising products from the zooplankton oils which were further assessed for human consumption Scientific evidence based on chemical composition, bioactivity, and metabolomic analysis were used for assessing any potential health claim evaluations.

By utilizing this zooplankton, which arrives to shore as a by-product from pelagic fishing, the environmental impact of zooplankton processing can improve, and can provide a more sustainable solution to zooplankton-based product development.