Corbion and IQI strengthen their partnership for supplying sustainable Algae DHA for pet food applications

November 01 2022 - News

Corbion and IQI strengthen their partnership for supplying sustainable Algae DHA for pet food applications

On the 3rd of October, IQI Trusted Petfood Ingredients and Corbion renewed their contract for the supply of AlgaPrime™ DHA to the European and North American pet food industry. This clean and sustainable source of omega-3s produced by microalgae fermentation is perfectly suited to meet the growing demand for omega-3s for pet food applications. With the contract renewal, IQI and Corbion have reinforced their successful partnership, ensuring increasing growth in scale and availability to the pet food market.

Algae DHA: a game-changing ingredient

Corbion, the global market leader in algae fermentation, developed AlgaPrime™ DHA, the world’s leading source of algae-based long-chain omega-3s. AlgaPrime™ DHA sustainable solutions support healthy diets and reduce pressure on marine resources without impacting the carbon footprint. AlgaPrime™ DHA has been used in the aquaculture industry at a relevant scale since 2016. Having since become a game-changing ingredient in aquaculture feeds. Now, these microscopic marine organisms are conquering the world of pet food. The partnership between IQI Trusted Petfood Ingredients and Corbion, which started in 2020, offers pet food producers in Europe and North America a reliable, clean, and consistent source of essential omega-3s for the advancement of product innovations focusing on health promotion and sustainability.

The fastest growing market for omega-3s

Pet food is the second biggest and the fastest growing market globally for EPA and DHA long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. This growing demand cannot be met by traditional sources alone. The supply of wild-caught marine-based ingredients, along with global fish oil production, has been stable for the past ten years, during which fish oil prices have been fluctuating. AlgaPrime™ DHA is a more sustainable alternative to marine-based omega-3s, which helps to meet global demand while reducing pressure on global wild fish populations.

Health benefits of omega-3s

At IQI, we consider the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA as an essential, functional ingredient for the health and well-being of cats and dogs, and as a strategic ingredient for making health claims. EPA and DHA play an essential role in the physiological processes of humans and other mammals, including cats and dogs. The intake of these fatty acids contributes to healthy joints and overall mobility, supports brain development in puppies and kittens, strengthens the immune system, reduces inflammation, increases the ability to fight cancer, benefits heart health, and contributes to a healthy skin and coat.

Commitment to omega-3 innovation

Over the past two years, IQI and Corbion have created a very reliable, transparent, and sustainable supply chain for algae-based omega-3s for the European and North-American pet food industry. The new contract includes the distribution of future innovative products. IQI is committed to harnessing its agreement with Corbion to further develop the market for sustainable omega-3s and developing new products. This includes co-creation and co-development together with our key partners to meet the needs of our customers.

Continuous improvement on SDGs

The growing use of Algae DHA is part of a wider ongoing trend for sustainable, non-animal-based ingredients and supports IQI’s continuous improvement on achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Of those, IQI considers SDG 12 (‘responsible consumption and production’) and SDG 14 (‘life below water’) to be the most relevant to the pet food industry. IQI’s supporting vision on sustainability and animal welfare in the pet food industry – and our efforts to make improvements and develop novel, alternative ingredients – is described in our e-paper on the possibilities for moving towards a more sustainable pet food industry.

For more information about Algae DHA, please download

our white paper

‘Microalgae as a clean source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acid for pet food’