Key Points
- The new ingredient has been made from marine and soil bacteria.
- Omega-3s are a popular supplement, most often derived from cod.
- Over 100 million tonnes of fish are caught every year to meet the global demand for the tablets.
Scientists are brewing a "fish oil" without fish and hope it will catch on as consumers increasingly school companies on more sustainable products.
Advanced manufacturing and science have combined at the University of Sydney where a new ingredient has been made from marine and soil bacteria.
Omega-3s are a popular supplement, most often derived from cod, and could prevent heart disease, high blood pressure and rheumatoid arthritis.
Globally, growing demand means over 100 million tonnes of fish per year are caught to make the tablets.
Instead of extracting fatty acids from fish, start-up BiomeMega is using precision fermentation to obtain wild bacterial extracts discovered in Australian soil and waters.
"We have to take our omega but we also know the damage we're doing to the environment," CEO Gustavo De Cerqueira told AAP.
His process involves taking bacteria available in the ocean, soil and wildlife and putting them into fermentation tanks, in a process similar to making beer. This breaks down the cells and produces the extract.
"It doesn't get any simpler than this," he said.
The big manufacturers are finally saying "we get it", and are looking for alternatives that don't need gene cloning or costly new equipment.
BiomeMega uses "realistic science where we see things happen at the bench level, literally in front of us," Dr De Cerqueira said.
Verifying it as Australian-made and sourced will also be possible, as demands for sustainability information continue to grow.
"People are looking for Australian quality, Australian brands, traceability, high-quality nutrients and ingredients that will not come from overseas," Dr De Cerqueira said.
The country's first national "traceability" strategy has been agreed by Australia's agricultural ministers as consumers want to know where their food and fibre comes from.
The move aims to prove Australia's credentials in biosecurity, food safety and sustainability and gain a market advantage for producers - and startups.
"Australia is really well placed to sell not only products but ingredients," Dr De Cerqueira said.
BiomeMega is working with the industry to create the new traceable compound that could be market-ready within four years.
