SOFIA, BULGARIA — Huvepharma, a human and animal nutrition company based in Europe, announced mid-November the establishment of a large-scale joint venture dubbed Huve Nutraceuticals, which will produce vegan Omega 3 algal oils for pet food, animal nutrition and human food applications.

Production of these algal oils will take place at Huvepharma’s fermentation production plant in Peshtera, Bulgaria, which is “one of the largest state-of-the-art fermentation sites” in the European Union, according to the company.

The ingredients will be sold to manufacturers under the brand names HuvePrime® for infant nutrition and food products and HuvePure® for use in dog and cat food, equine feed and aquaculture feed.

The manufacturing process involves large fermentation units using purified water, which eliminates the risk of heavy metals, nanoplastics or other toxins that can be found in algal oil’s animal-based counterpart, fish oil. The company stated a significant portion of energy used in this process will come from waste and renewable sources, limiting its environmental footprint.

Additionally, Huve Nutraceuticals is on a mission to reduce its carbon footprint by as much as 50% compared to the typical carbon footprint from harvesting, processing and shipping fish oil ingredients, the company stated.

"We are committed with this joint venture and the development of innovative, planet friendly products that reduce our carbon footprint,” said Thomas Brudenell-Bruce, chief executive officer of Huve Nutraceuticals. “We are constantly striving to improve our manufacturing process and our logistics chain. We are on a mission to be carbon neutral within the next 10 years. We hope that in time, we will make a major contribution to addressing the world's diminishing fish stocks and help increase the consumption of essential fatty acids from non-fish sources. Algal-based Omega 3 is non-GMO, gluten free, and based on organic extraction methods."

Huve Nutraceuticals hopes to tap into the growing market for plant-derived marine oils, which have sustainability merits and offer functional health benefits for human and animal nutrition products. These ingredients have been recognized in the pet industry as a source of essential Omega 3 fatty acids — namely DHA and EPA — which can benefit cognitive health and development, skin and coat health, and general health and wellness.

The HuvePure portfolio will include DHA [docosahexaenoic acid] and ARA [arachidonic acid] algal oils, which deliver Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. The company is marketing its DHA algal oil for formulations targeting early-stage development including cognitive, nervous system and eye health. The ARA ingredient is a plant-based source of both Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids derived from Mortierella alpina, a fungal organism grown in controlled conditions and fermented by the company.

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