The fisheries and seafood sector generates large volumes of side streams and by-products that are currently underutilised or discarded as waste. At the same time, there is a growing demand for sustainable ingredients for food, dietary supplements and health-related products. The VALORISH project was initiated to address these challenges and to support a more circular and resource-efficient bioeconomy.
The aim of VALORISH is to develop a green and flexible biorefinery approach that can convert fish waste into safe and high-value bioproducts such as fish oil, protein hydrolysates, vitamins, pigments, bacteriocins, collagen and mineral-rich products. The project applies a cascade processing strategy to maximise raw material utilisation, with a clear zero-waste objective.
SINTEF contributes to the project with expertise in fermentation and analytical methods. A key focus of our work is the use of fish protein hydrolysates as a nutrient source in microbial production of valuable bioproducts, providing a sustainable alternative to commercial ingredients. Experimental work is carried out at micro- and laboratory scale (1 mL – 3 L).
VALORISH is an EU-funded Horizon Europe project with international research and industrial partners, combining laboratory research, pilot-scale validation, digital tools and sustainability assessments to ensure industrial relevance and societal impact.
