SARIA Global Newsletter May 2023

In the last newsletter we reported on the “S” in the name Sinova, which refers to sustainability and is related to our purpose “To make the most of the Earth’s limited resources”.

Today we want to take the opportunity to talk about the second letter in Sinova. The “I” stands for the Ingredients we supply for the production of the final products in various industries.

Ingredients: making more out of the same

Sinova supplies a large number of industrial partners with intermediate products, which are then used as part of our customers’ production chains. The final end-products cover a wide range of industries – from petfood and animal feed, to fertilizer, biofuel, aquafeed or oleochemicals. The high-quality of ingredients supplied by Sinova to its industrial partners is the basis for production and quality standards of well-known branded products that many of us use in our daily lives.

At Sinova, we work to make the most out of our earth´s limited resources, and there is no better way to do this than to make more out of all the existing materials that might otherwise go to waste. In this context, Sinova’s Innovation team is working on several topics in close collaboration with other teams and customers. Here is a peek into some of the projects that will increase the ingredients we have available for our customers from already existing raw materials.

Insights into some projects

In 2021, the octopus market in Spain was above 1000 Mio. EUR. The octopus is fished with traps, where a high-quality bait attracts the octopus. One product generated in our fish meal production is now a proven ingredient for this kind of baits. In collaboration with an artificial fish bait producer, who uses one of our special fish meal products, we have started a project called Hank with first sales having already happened! We hope to increase our market share further by developing new recipes for other high-value species like crabs, together with our partner. The partnership will allow us to test the baits in the field (or more precisely in the water) and gain access to more customers.

Also in the fish area, we are about to start a cooperation with a by-product supplier to produce human-grade fish oil. The application of this ingredient will be baby food. The high DHA oil market is very attractive but due to the limited volumes and high price of the raw material (tuna heads), an internal production within Sinova would be too expensive. However, this by-product market is very active and competitive so, by partnering with the supplier, we will ensure a stronger collaboration, securing more volumes for the fish activities. The supplier will also benefit from our expertise and will ensure a fair deal on all by-products. Last but not least, the environment will also benefit, as part of the oil will remain upgraded to the food chain increasing the total value of the caught fish.

Our third example is linked to shrimp feed, which is expanding in parallel with the global shrimp feed market, making it interesting for Sinova.

Shrimp feed refers to formulations that are produced to fulfil the nutritional requirements of farmed shrimps. It is made using several ingredients to support regulation of adequate levels of minerals, vitamins, essential amino acids and fatty acids in the shrimps. This in turn helps enhance harvest per unit area, the production cycles, profitability and reduce the environmental contamination caused by shrimp farming.

Shrimps are unable to bio-synthesize cholesterol, which is an essential nutrient for these crustaceans. For this reason, cholesterol containing ingredients are added to their diet.

Increased demand for cholesterol, combined with its relatively high cost and variable supply, present a challenge for the shrimp feed industry. Therefore, Sinova is looking into our raw material resources to supply a new high value cholesterol-containing ingredient for shrimp feed manufacturers. This is referred to as project BACON.

As an international manufacturer, we at Sinova focus on the sustainable use of meat and animal co-products to create the highest and most sustainable added value together with our customers.

By processing sustainable nutrients from land and aquatic animals, we create nutritional solutions for all major feed industries worldwide, and especially petfood.

Together with colleagues from Bioiberica and Great West it was an amazing experience to participate in the biggest Petfood forum in the USA from May 1-3. Petfood Forum 2023 attracted a record number of attendees with more than 3,700 petfood professionals from 43 countries and it was a great opportunity for us to renew contacts with existing and new customers. Furthermore, the Petfood Forum included dozens of educational sessions, led by globally recognized experts focused on the latest pet food trends, processes and innovations. Together with experts, sustainable solutions were discussed and further developed to create added value in this fascinating, dynamic and growing industry.

Great West, located in Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado, specializes in sourcing, processing, exporting and importing animal co-products. With an experience of more than 40 years in the US petfood market, Great West is a well-known and trusted supplier and partner.

Bioiberica presented functional ingredients that cover major health areas with the aim of improving pets’ overall wellbeing and was looking to inspire and unlock new opportunities for the customers via a range of high-quality, science-backed ingredients for pet food products.

Matthias Adam, Sinova’s International Business Director, reported: “It was a very successful and exciting event. We learned a lot and made plenty important business contacts. The trends in the petfood industry became apparent and we had many interesting conversations with potential customers.

Satisfied, we now look back on the past days and are already looking forward to turning new ideas into concrete plans!”