Boosting fish health and milk production in Norway with seaweed

Norway has a unique opportunity to develop its seaweed industry but should explore a broader range of applications for seaweed, such as in fish and livestock feed, says an expert. “Cultivation of seaweed is on the increase in Norway; while seaweed products are primarily aimed at the human food sector, expanding into animal feed could increase profitability,” Professor Margareth Øverland from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and director of Foods of Norway, told us. She and her team have been researching bioactive compounds from brown seaweed, particularly sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima), as well as the whole biomass, in animal diets. The sugar kelp used in the studies was supplied by Seaweed Solutions, a company based in Frøya, near Trondheim, Norway. Bioactive compounds Her team has been evaluating two key bioactive compounds—fucoidan and laminarin—which have health benefits such as immune support, antiviral, antibacterial, and antioxidant effects. "Laminarin, a ...