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Calysta’s protein receives approval for use in aquaculture feeds in China

Calysta’s FeedKind® protein has gotten formal approval to be used in aquaculture feeds in China as the country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) has formally given Calysta’s single-cell protein full approval for use in fish and shrimp feeds.

The company’s joint venture with Adisseo, Calysseo, is preparing to deliver its first product to customers through the Adisseo sales network in China. 

“MARA approval is more than simply a regulatory step, it is validation that our product is a healthy and practical ingredient for use in aquaculture systems and opens the door for the Chinese aquaculture sector to set new standards in sustainable feed practices,” said Herman Hong, Adisseo Aquaculture manager for China.

Alan Shaw, co-founder and chief executive officer of Calysta, agreed. “Approval from MARA is the final piece of the puzzle to bring a truly sustainable, high-quality source of protein to the Asian aquaculture market that offers superior nutrition to existing alternatives. FeedKind® can be produced year-round using no arable land and without using any plant or animal ingredients, it truly is a protein without limits,” Shaw said.

Calysseo’s first production plant is in Chongqing, already producing sustainable FeedKind protein for the aquaculture industry, giving producers access to an alternative to plant or animal sources for aquafeed diets. The protein is produced by harnessing the power of a naturally occurring microbe that converts methane into a healthy, nutritious feed ingredient, FeedKind. It is produced by fermentation for aquaculture feeds and pet foods produced using no plant or animal ingredients.

“This is an important step forward not just in helping make food production systems more sustainable, but in improving global food security, by providing feed producers with a domestically produced, reliable feed ingredient that isn’t susceptible to weather or climate-driven fluctuations in supply,” said Sun Bin, Calysseo’s chairman.

FeedKind is said to have been validated via extensive trials across popular aquaculture species, including shrimp, sea bass, and salmon. Research previously demonstrated distinct benefits for shrimp, concluding that FeedKind promotes strong, healthy growth, while also helping activate shrimp’s immune response to Vibrio, the causative agent of early mortality syndrome.