MUMIFaST- Mussel Mitigation Feeds and Supply System Technological Development

MuMiFaST project objectives covers the value chain from optimization of undersized and mitigaiton mussel biomass harvest to preprocessing, novel industrial processing techniques, processing waste utilization, and integration in feed ingredients for the aquaculture feed industry.

Transformation of this underutilized marine protein into a low-ash meal for utilization in the aquaculture feed industry has thus far been conducted only at lab and pilot-scale demonstration, without encompassing other aspects of the value chain. Main post harvest challenges are preservation, salt removal, dewatering and preprocessing of biomass to ensure quality in a sustainable and economic feasible way. MuMiFaST ties the quality consistency in harvested material to pre-processing treatment, and then into largevolume processing to test high-throughput of the raw ingredient to processed meals.

Due to production characteristics of undersized/mitigation mussels, geographic, seasonal, and interannual differences in the biomass bulk (size and composition), harvest strategies and processing requires harmonization and optimization, which will be addressed in coupled work packages in this project. Relatedly, consistency in raw product quality, in terms of biochemcial composition and risk of contamination (micro plastics) will be surveyed in MuMiFaST.

Post-harvesting logistics include declumping and removal of unwanted biofouling accomplished while harvesting at sea is expensive and need optimization including capture and reuse of waste materials (byssus, organic matter, flora/fauna). Retained salt in fresh mussels can substantially increase the ash content of processes meals, which needs to be addressed in pre-processing steps.

Undersized mussles of varying size and tissue and nutrients need to be effectively separated from shells for use in feeds in high-volume throughput, while maintiaing the required high-quality for aquaculture feeds. Processing at high throughput can generate a large volume of byproducts, such as shells, partially separated tissue parts, and water-soluble proteins.

MuMiFaST will evaluate methods to capture and utilize these waste streams to both reduce the environmental footprint of processing and enhance value in processing as ingredients to reenter meals production or as substances with increased value. Additionally, due to seasonal changes in mussel biochemstry, where in the spring and early summer, concentrations omega-3 fatty acids and carotenoids are increased, thus MuMiFaST will evaluate the potential for late-harvest material as a high-value lipids source. Novel industrial mussel meals produced in MuMiFaST, as alternatives to fishmeal, will be evaluated in high-value aquaculture species, of which represent the most significant consumption of fishmeal as a feed ingredient. The sustainability and viability of this entire value chain will be evaluated by techno-economic modeling and Life Cycle Analysis.