TARI receives approval for Flagship Project from the Fisheries Research Fund

The project “Development and production of dietary supplements and functional food from marine raw materials” aims to develop dietary supplements and functional food using blue whiting and sea cucumber.

Participants in the project include TARI Spf., Primafisk Spf., the University of the Faroe Islands (Fróðskaparsetur Føroya), and the University of Stavanger. The project is led by Agnes Mols Mortensen from TARI.

Sustainability is a prerequisite for moving Faroese production into the future, and adding value to high-quality marine raw materials for various product categories, such as dietary supplements and functional food, has the fundamental conditions necessary for sustainable development. With relatively small quantities of raw material, it is possible to produce finished value-added products with relatively high market value.

Dietary supplements and functional foods can be developed from marine raw materials, and both fish, seaweed, and invertebrates have health-promoting properties that can be utilized in such products. TARI Spf. has developed a dietary supplement from seaweed, and this development has taken place in research collaboration with the University of Stavanger. At the laboratory in Stavanger, the seaweed-based supplement is being tested for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on living cells. Results so far clearly indicate bioactivity in the supplement. The trials with the seaweed dietary supplement have provided a knowledge base for continued work, and by expanding the raw material base to include other marine species, we believe there is a wide range of possibilities within this type of value creation.

In this project, we will study the nutritional components of blue whiting and sea cucumber and investigate their bioactivity on living cells. We will also develop dietary supplements and/or functional food from these raw materials and begin a pilot production. Another aim of the project is to develop knowledge and research on value creation from Faroese resources. Therefore, emphasis will also be placed on building a network between researchers and other stakeholders in this field, thereby laying the foundation for food research at the University of the Faroe Islands.