Technological analysis of the sustainable production of ω-3 from fish wastes in a biorefinery framework

Fish wastes pose environmental and economic challenges for companies operating in the field. The global fishing industry generates a substantial amount of waste, which has far-reaching consequences. Just to have a glance of the issue on a global scale, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), nearly 50 million tons of fish are wasted every year, representing about 30% of the total global catch. The majority of this waste occurs at sea, where fish are discarded as by-catch or are not fully utilized; waste also occurs during processing, transportation, and retail. While the waste management costs continue to rise, these by-products also present an untapped potential in the form of valuable bioactive compounds. Some of the noteworthy compounds found in fish wastes include Omega-3 fatty acids (omega-3), collagen, and hyaluronic acid, all of which have substantial commercial value. The extraction of high-value compounds from fish waste is a promising way to reduce waste and create new products that can benefit human health and the environment. The full valorization of wastes and biomass is reached in biorefinery plants, where the combination of innovative separation technologies and reaction stages allows extracting high-quality final products with a very low impact on the environment. In this framework, we propose a novel process to extract omega-3 from fish wastes while keeping their integrity for further protein (collagen) extraction and improving the omega-3 quality compared to traditional thermal extraction systems. The process is designed using a feedstock derived from salmonid wastes and includes extraction using Supercritical Fluid (SCF)-CO2, followed by hydrolysis and vacuum distillation. We simulated the innovative process in Aspen Plus, a professional tool for chemical process design, providing key indications regarding the process feasibility (yields, flow concentrations, and basic equipment design). The process has been optimized with respect to recovery ratio, purity, and energy duties, providing a clear profile regarding the technical feasibility of the innovative process. Results show good efficiency of the proposed process, with a recovery of 96% and a purity of 77%, in good compliance with other green applications, such as pretreatment-assisted enzymatic extraction. According to detailed results on the final composition of products, the simulations have reported a very high ratio omega(3)/omega(6), corresponding to recognized highly beneficial effects on health. All in all, the presented research demonstrates through quantitative data the feasibility of omega-3 production and provides a tangible instance highlighting how the circular economy paradigm can foster innovation within the agri-food industry. This is accomplished by utilizing technological solutions that have minimal environmental impact and emissions. [GRAPHICS] .

Automated summary

The global fishing industry generates a substantial amount of waste, including valuable bioactive compounds. Extracting these compounds from fish waste is a promising way to reduce waste and create new products with positive impacts on human health and the environment. The combination of supercritical fluid-CO2 extraction with innovative separation technologies allows for efficient utilization of fish waste with minimal environmental impact.