Salmon producers turn to poultry byproducts in feed

NORWAY – European salmon producers Lerøy Seafood Group, Mowi, Grieg Seafood and SalMar are expanding the use of poultry-derived ingredients in aquafeed as rising fishmeal prices increase pressure on production costs, according to the Financial Times.

Lerøy has introduced poultry byproducts into feed at all its offshore salmon farms, while Mowi is preparing to adopt similar ingredients at its operations in Norway and Scotland.

Grieg Seafood introduced chicken meal and oil in July, while SalMar began testing poultry-based feed in March, the newspaper reported.

Fishmeal prices have nearly doubled over the past two years amid pressure on wild fish stocks and growing demand from China.

Poultry-derived ingredients cost less than half as much per tonne as fishmeal, according to the report, strengthening their appeal as salmon producers seek to manage feed costs.

Lerøy said the scale of its operations made finding alternatives to fishmeal increasingly important.

Some poultry ingredients the company uses originate in Britain and are exported to Norway for use in salmon feed.

The salmon can subsequently be sold back into the UK market, creating a cross-border supply chain for poultry-derived feed ingredients.

Retailer policies and consumer acceptance

The shift has raised questions about retailer sourcing policies and consumer perceptions of salmon fed processed animal proteins.

Tesco stated in 2021 that it prohibited poultry-derived meal and oil in fish feed, while Waitrose adopted a similar position on processed animal proteins in 2024. Neither retailer confirmed to the Financial Times whether its policy had changed.

Sainsbury’s said it still prohibits poultry-derived ingredients in feed for its own-label salmon but did not clarify its policy for third-party brands.

A 2026 study by the Norwegian food research institute, Nofima, identified consumer resistance to feeding poultry ingredients to salmon in Britain and France, highlighting a potential challenge for wider adoption.

Europe has allowed processed poultry proteins in aquaculture feed since 2013, but adoption has been slower than in Chile and Canada.

Unlike ingredients in food products, fish-feed ingredients do not have to be declared on consumer packaging.

The search for alternatives is also being shaped by constraints on traditional marine ingredients.

The Financial Times reported that declining fishmeal availability, including disruptions to Peru’s anchovy fishery, is accelerating the shift, while the loss of sustainability certification for blue whiting could further pressure marine feed supplies.

For the aquaculture sector, poultry byproducts offer a potential route to lower feed costs and diversify protein sources.

Wider adoption, however, will depend on ingredient supply, retailer requirements, and consumer acceptance, as well as their nutritional suitability for farmed salmon.

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