mutherhrg OP t1_iti67g4 wrote
Fermentation is a process that uses microbes, to break down compounds to create products like protein or alcohol. This allows for basic raw ingredients such as glucose, starch, carbon monoxide or methane to be used to produce complex food like protein.
Traditional fish food for farmed fish is largely comprised of wild fish or soy. This leads to overfishing and massive amounts of land use for the growing of soy. By using industrial scale fermentation, you can vastly reduce the land and water needed to produce fish food. This technology could also be used to feed other kind of livestock as well.
KainX t1_iti8dqm wrote
This sound great, but they do not explain a whole lot in the article. Would you explain more about;
What are these protein substances that we would see in one of the fermenters? Is it a goopy film that is dried?
What are the microbes being fed / What input materials are being turned into protein?
How does carbon monoxide end up in protein?
​
Black Soldier Fly production are great at turning organic matter into proteins and fats, but they can not handle a lot of fibrous plant matter, but they would probably love these fermented leftovers.
mutherhrg OP t1_itiagjs wrote
>What input materials are being turned into protein?
>Calysseo is a joint venture between global animal feed additives supplier Adisseo and protein innovator Calysta, which uses natural gas (methane) to grow a naturally occurring bacteria, producing a safe SCP.
So methane it is.
>How does carbon monoxide end up in protein?
Complex chemical reactions being used by the bacteria transforming the substance into protein. Basically, a large bioreactor.
>What are the microbes being fed. What are these protein substances that we would see in one of the fermenters? Is it a goopy film that is dried?
Hard to say, there's a dozen different types of this processes using different microbes, different feedstock , some of it is being trade secrets, you need to actually go inside the factory to know the details. The final product is basically pellets, but there's no telling what by-products are produced, or the steps taken to process it into the pellet form. It just opened after all and this kinds of industrial protein factories aren't very common. Maybe in 10 years when there's thousands of this factories across the world, we'll know more about it.
TerpenesByMS t1_itjsn9z wrote
That's wild, input carbon for industrial food chain coming from petrochem. We definitely live in the future.
mutherhrg OP t1_itju3w2 wrote
There's also dozens other versions that use combinations of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide etc etc so there's lots of potential there
Green__lightning t1_itmiysh wrote
They can make drinkable alcohol from oil too, but they won't let them sell it, at least here.
Lone-Pine t1_itk76w2 wrote
> safe SCP
I don't feel safe...
bluenosesutherland t1_itk84y6 wrote
I have visions of Soylent Green.
aPicOfTheWorld t1_itme602 wrote
I work in a factory like this, not in China, neither do we make fish supplements.
U won't see anything In the fermenter but brown water that smells like shit, don't forget, this is basically just biomass.
ThrowAwayGenomics t1_itimyti wrote
It’s methane fermentation, so methane is the only carbon/energy source. Depending on processing, you end up with something similar to brewers yeast you find at some grocery stores or a more purified protein powder. For animal feed it would likely be the former. Inputs are methane, salts, water and electricity to the run the bioreactors. I assume there’s some amount of pure oxygen or nitrogen supplementation to reach the most efficient ratios.
glaive1976 t1_itjw9d0 wrote
How about, can they engineer the foods nutrition profile to give farm fish the same nutrients and flavor?
Redqueenhypo t1_itjxsob wrote
I mean farmed salmon is still absolutely delicious
glaive1976 t1_itjy7k2 wrote
Agree to disagree?
Redqueenhypo t1_itk16b4 wrote
Actually let me rephrase, farmed salmon sushi is S tier because it’s as tender as toro at a fraction of the price. But when made any other way it’s just too greasy
Cantwaittobevegan t1_itjzmuc wrote
I also think farmed salmon tastes fine. However maybe I never had a proper wild one, I’ve had wild ones but maybe they were from polluted waters
FilthyCommieAccount t1_itnpt6g wrote
What's weird is I WAY prefer farmed salmon over wild caught.
glaive1976 t1_itpsvi0 wrote
I can believe it, personally the farmed has always been a bit salmon light if you will, so too me the flavor is milder. I fancy the flavor so me it's not as enjoyable, however you may find it more pleasing when it is less pronounced.
I kind of wonder if the down voters are mistaking my preference for being against farming at all. Just in case, I am pro responsible farming. I actually like the idea of this feed as it sounds like major improvement to sustainability.
Pickle121201 t1_itkrrc5 wrote
Fish overfarmed to feed fish
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments