The beneath transcript is from Episode 83 of the Trending: Pet Meals podcast, the place host Lindsay Beaton and Michel Lockhart, CEO of ChitoLytic, reply the query, “What are the chances for shrimp byproducts as pet meals components?” You will discover the episode at Trending: Pet Food Podcast, on SoundCloud or in your favourite podcast platform. This episode initially aired on March 26, 2025.
We wish to thank AFB International for sponsoring this podcast. AFB is the premier provider of palatants to pet meals corporations worldwide providing off-the-shelf and customized options that make pet meals treats and dietary supplements style nice.
Lindsay Beaton, editor, Petfood Trade journal and host, Trending: Pet Meals podcast: Hiya, and welcome to Trending: Pet Meals, the trade podcast the place we cowl all the most recent scorching matters and traits in pet meals. I’m your host and editor of Petfood Trade journal Lindsay Beaton, and I’m right here as we speak with Michel Lockhart, CEO of Chitolytic Inc. Hello Michel, and welcome!
Michel Lockhart, CEO of ChitoLytic Inc.: Hello Lindsay. How are you doing?
Beaton: Fairly good up to now! In case you’re unfamiliar with Michel or Chitolytic, right here’s what that you must know.
Michel is a acknowledged enterprise growth govt with over 40 years of expertise within the life sciences throughout medicine, nutraceuticals, and meals. His profession began excelling in positions with huge pharma corporations like Johnson & Johnson, and within the mid-Nineteen Nineties he shifted from commercializing medicine to extra pure merchandise reminiscent of meals components and pure drugs. For instance, he labored with corporations reminiscent of Aker Biomarine and Acasti Pharma in upvaluing krill oil merchandise, bringing them via managed trials in lupus sufferers on the Hospital of Particular Surgical procedure in NYC.
All through his profession, he has orchestrated over 70 profitable life sciences tasks, amassing over $4.0 billion in worth in world markets. His cornerstone is that he works to remodel the science behind extra pure supplies and components into extremely helpful business merchandise.
Chitolytic Inc. is a specialty chitosan producer and provider. It is among the solely corporations on the planet that gives constant batch-to-batch high-quality chitosan to be used in a lot of the over 400 chitosan utility areas, reminiscent of prescribed drugs, biomedical, agriculture and meals and feed components, together with a give attention to pet meals.
Michel’s intensive expertise in commercializing marine-derived merchandise offers distinctive insights into their dietary worth, and his present give attention to shrimp byproducts and chitosan are why I’ve introduced him on as we speak and reply this query: What are the prospects for shrimp byproducts as pet meals components?
Michel, I wish to speak a bit bit about how all the assorted crustacean meals even entered each the human meals house after which expanded into the pet meals house, as a result of that is normally the place the components come from, proper? They begin out within the human meals, after which anyone seems to be at them and goes, “Oh, wait, there’s one other utility for this,” and so they land in pet meals. What has that evolution seem like for these components?
Lockhart: It’s an fascinating query. Firstly, shrimp meal is a acknowledged ingredient within the pet meals trade for fairly some time now, but it surely has been used largely as an attractant and to create palliative advantages. However currently, it has gone to the following degree. It is gone to the following degree primarily due to chitosan, which is a byproduct of the shrimp secondary yield, or waste some folks wish to name it. Chitosan is bringing about important curiosity within the over 400 functions that chitosan has been cited as.
The planet is shifting away from the usage of fossil fuels and chemical compounds, and with that, the query is, what are we going to make use of to make our merchandise? We’ll have to make use of biomaterials, as we’re beginning to use now, and chitosan is the second most ample of our pure polymers on the planet, second solely to cellulose. Cellulose being in all our bushes and crops. Chitosan is in our crustacean shells and exoskeletons of bugs and cell partitions of fungi, so it is simply in all places.
The numerous distinction between cellulose and chitosan is that chitosan is a extra versatile chemical than cellulose. It may be used for therefore many various utility areas, which has prompted a renewed curiosity within the use of the shrimp byproducts in meals and feed functions.
Beaton: Now the phrase “byproducts” has develop into a loaded phrase, if you’ll, within the human meals house, within the pet meals house, as a result of folks see the phrase “byproducts” and so they assume “waste.” They assume one thing that is not nutritious.
Now we all know that that isn’t essentially true, that animal byproducts have excessive dietary worth and that there’s a lot that may be achieved with it, however the harm has been achieved from a advertising and client standpoint. What does that seem like from a seafood perspective? There’s been harm achieved by way of cow byproducts and rooster meal – is it the identical within the seafood house? Or are folks not as involved concerning the phrase “byproducts” when it comes to seafood?
Lockhart: First, thanks a lot for that query, as a result of I am responsible of calling it “waste” and “byproducts” usually. I used to be taught and scolded many instances by a veteran within the seafood trade, Melanie Siggs, who’s one of many administrators on the Global Seafood Alliance. She’s coined the phrase “secondary yield” of the shrimp, which is a greater time period to make use of. It really is a secondary a part of the method after we eliminate among the materials for human consumption. It’s completely different considerably from an animal secondary yield, because it had been, as a result of marine supplies are normally eaten entire by different marine animals. Every little thing inside the shrimp itself is consumable.
Secondly, I believe it is completely different, as a result of we as people eat a lot of shrimp. It is probably the most consumed of the seafoods on the market. The newest determine that has been cited is that we eat about 5.5 kilos yearly, in contrast to three.2 or 3.3 kilos per 12 months of salmon because the second most consumed.
We actually eat a variety of shrimp, and we eat it entire. We eat all components of it. The time period “secondary yield” would convey a few extra constructive tilt. Once more, there’s a extra constructive really feel once we communicate concerning the secondary yield coming from seafood.
Beaton: How does shrimp examine to different seafood components in pet meals? When formulators come to you, are they searching for it to serve the identical functions, like the choice protein or seafood protein objective? You talked about that it has been used as an attractant and as a palatant. Does it get used as a major protein? Or are you seeing that being requested?
Lockhart: No, and I believe that is the chance. That is one of many prices we now have coming to each the aquaculture and the pet meals market is that it is rather more than an attractant or palatant. We should take a look at the fundamental elements of the shrimp and make some selections there.
Once we try this, we take a look at its closest relative we now have expertise with, and that is krill. Its elements are very very similar to krill in that it has the EPAs, the DHAs, the proteins. The distinction is with fish or different marine vitamins, its vitamins, together with the EPA and DHA trim are sure to phospholipids, versus triglycerides.
What meaning is these vitamins are extra bioavailable. They simply enter the cells. They’re extra soluble, thus they’re extra digestible and bioavailable. For instance, one gram of EPA DHA delivered on a triglyceride spine, as with fish, won’t have the identical bioavailability as a phospholipid-bound EPA DHA. You simply get extra vitamins per gram.
Beaton: It seems like this ingredient, or this group of components, might match in to the purposeful ingredient pattern.
Lockhart: You might be completely proper. I wish to say that for a few years, now, a long time, I assume, shrimp has been swimming on the tails of fish and thus been characterised as solely an attractant and solely as a palatant enhancer kind of fabric. But it surely does rather more. I wish to say it does rather more — simply ask the fish. The fish themselves devour decrease standing supplies on the meals chain, reminiscent of krill, reminiscent of shrimp, to get their nutrient profile. That is indicative of the superb performance of the supplies in shrimp.
Beaton: The opposite huge factor that is occurring proper now, the opposite huge buzzword, the massive pattern, is sustainability. I do know that that has hit the seafood house prefer it has hit each different house. The place does this class of components fall in the sustainability umbrella? Are there challenges, alternatives there? What does that seem like? What sort of conversations are being had?
Lockhart: That is a big alternative we see within the shrimp secondary yield market. As a result of we’re such massive customers of shrimp, it ends in a variety of shrimp byproducts.
I believe the most recent figures globally, there was about eight to 10 million metric tons of shrimp which can be discarded. A lot of it’s discarded again into landfills, again into the oceans. There’s a important quantity of those bioactive supplies simply not getting used. We’re consuming the shrimp and processing the shrimp, so these supplies can be found.
It actually speaks to the brand new pattern in direction of 100percentutilization for us. As soon as the shrimp is processed and you’ve got remnants of the tails, the pinnacle, the shell of the fish, we then transfer on to course of it into hydrolyzed shrimp meal, for instance. That hydrolyzed shrimp meal then strikes on to course of the shells that come from that course of, and in the end, what we get is 100% utilization. Very very similar to nature herself, she doesn’t waste something.
All in all, it is a superb sustainability story for shrimp shifting ahead. That’s one thing that we want to educate all industries, together with the pet meals trade, is what you’ll be able to count on with shrimp secondary yield merchandise.
Beaton: Now, common listeners of this podcast will know that you simply simply mentioned the magic phrase “educate.” I like a superb schooling dialog, as a result of largely, that is what this podcast total is about. I wish to educate the trade and speak to individuals who can assist try this.
However I additionally wish to speak to the trade about how troublesome it may be to teach their clients and the top client within the case of an ingredient firm. What are the present challenges that you simply’re dealing with in making an attempt to teach formulators? We have mentioned how this class of components has type of caught as a palatant and seen as an attractant, however it may be so rather more.
Are you discovering that the trade is receptive to those conversations, or is there a big academic part having to occur in permitting folks to see the science past what it is already recognized for and used for?
Lockhart: That’s an fascinating query. I see it on two ranges, schooling to the buyer and schooling to trade. That is the place I borrow a lot of my expertise with the krill trade. The krill trade is doing very effectively. There are a variety of krill dietary supplements which can be getting used, not just for supplementation, however now truly, as true nutraceutical drugs.
With the buyer, it was very troublesome at first, as a result of no one knew what krill was. Shrimp won’t have that drawback. As I discussed, all people is aware of shrimp, clearly is probably the most consumed of our seafood. In phrases of training the buyer, there is a door open for comparatively simple schooling that you realize the shrimp that you simply’re consuming, or the shrimp secondary yield merchandise that you simply and your pets are consuming, are good. They’re tasty, sure, however they do much more than offering a superb style by way of the trade.
Then it will get a bit bit extra sophisticated. Presently, shrimp doesn’t have any important science behind it. For us, that is a possibility to construct that science, to show out that its elements actually present these purposeful ingredient advantages.
Krill has led the way in which. We use a variety of translational science from krill due to the similarity of their elements and dietary profile. With my quick foray into the pet trade and aquaculture, for that matter, I discovered that once I discuss the advantages of the part profile and dietary profile of shrimp, once we communicate to the scientists inside the trade, they perceive it. It is a given for them. They perceive that, sure, the vitamins inside shrimp are sure and conjugated to phospholipids. It simply makes excellent sense. It is virtually like biochemistry 101.
Once we get away from the scientists and the lab inside these industries, then it is not clear. That is the place the schooling should come, extra so in direction of the executives inside these industries. Throughout the pet industries, the science is obvious. We should doc the science, and that is what we’re doing. We should get the scientists inside the pet meals trade to talk with the executives and allow them to know that the science is there. It is simply logical sense.
Then we put the entire package deal collectively by explaining what the potential holistic advantages are from having the science being constructed up — all the sustainability points that we’re addressing as an organization, all the provision chain points that we’re addressing.
We’ve got a superb story for not solely the science behind shrimp within the pet trade, but in addition the worth proposition going to the market and to the buyer.
Beaton: We’ll wrap up with the long run. I wish to speak concerning the current for a second. You talked about issues like provide chain. What’s the state of issues proper now by way of shrimp provide and with the ability to get this ingredient? Has every little thing steadied out in the previous few years after a worldwide upheaval or are there nonetheless considerations on that entrance by way of with the ability to reliably upscale and keep the influx of this ingredient?
Lockhart: It is fascinating. The shrimp Trade was and nonetheless is primarily dominated by processors popping out of Asia, particularly locations like Vietnam, India and definitely the Far East. With that, the provision chain has been acknowledged as considerably erratic the place there’s not a constant provide, not constant high quality popping out of these areas.
That is the place, from a enterprise perspective, we now have recognized the chance. This is the reason we now have now partnered with companions in Ecuador, for instance, which is largest shrimp exporting nation as we communicate, the place we are able to work with them and work with their solidified provide chain to the level the place we might now have 100% management of the chain of custody from hatchery of farmed shrimp all the way in which up via the shrimp on the desk. That is considerably vital.
The availability chain, bringing it nearer to residence, so to talk, permits us entry to a extra risk-free provide chain. That’s essential and one thing that we are able to provide to to the pet meals trade, whereas they weren’t used to getting that sort of risk-free solidified, absolutely traceable provide chain. That provides into the worth proposition that we’re bringing ahead.
It is considerably of a change to the trade and the way shrimp secondary yield merchandise are considered.
Beaton: We’re recording this on January 13, so we’re early into the brand new 12 months, about two weeks. What do you assume shrimp byproducts are going to seem like in 2025? Over the following 5 years? What’s trending? The place does it seem like it is headed?
Lockhart: It’s twofold. Once we speak about hydrolyzed shrimp meal, that product is mainly up and able to go. It is prepared to switch or complement different components inside pet meals, for instance, and produce that further performance to a formulation the place marine supply protein is sought, one which is each dietary and purposeful has wonderful sustainability advantages. It’s fairly effectively able to go.
Once more, it’s to teach the trade and allow them to know that you’ll be able to go well past the advantages of elevated palatability. You possibly can go to the factors of higher digestibility of low molecular peptides, considerably bioactive and ship the EPAs and DHAs is that you simply come to get used to and further vitamins, reminiscent of choline, for instance. I ought to have talked about that the phospholipid fraction inside shrimp is what they name phosphatidylcholine. It is a pure supply of choline inside a formulation. It has all these potential advantages which can be able to go in 2025.
The second a part of the equation is the chitosan. The chitosan itself is now additional downstream processing of the secondary yield — one can name it the tertiary yield — because the shrimp materials. The entire proteins and the fat are extracted, and we’re left with the shrimp shell, which is transformed into chitin after which chitosan.
That may be a slower course of that could be a newer materials to the pet meals trade, and it is being examined by among the pet meals producers as we communicate, using the chitosan now as a pure dietary fiber that has important bioactive functionalities, like being a prebiotic, pure antimicrobial properties, help to the digestive system. It is a toxin-binder, for instance, which helps to forestall the absorption of some toxins. It has a number of completely different further advantages in comparison with, for instance, the hydrolyzed shrimp.
So in 2025, we see chitosan regularly being studied in various kinds of formulations for various kinds of focused functionalities.
Beaton: Effectively, that is nice. I actually get pleasure from with the ability to do deep dives right into a explicit ingredient. It’s really easy to generalize and hold them of their bigger courses, however to see how a person ingredient might work in a particular trade, particularly proper now, when conversations about sustainability and novel proteins and purposeful components are so vital to the pet meals trade, I believe it is actually vital to have the ability to residence in on some particular components. It’s been some time since I’ve lined a seafood ingredient. Thank you very a lot for approaching as we speak, Michel.
Lockhart: Thanks very a lot, as a result of this definitely lends into considered one of our main aims is to teach the world, if you’ll, in some sense, and definitely the pet trade. As a result of as previous because the ingredient is, it appears typically that it is comparatively new since it has been ignored and underappreciated. We glance to assist fill the tutorial hole as we transfer ahead.
Beaton: To that finish, let’s do some plug. The place can folks discover extra details about you and ChitoLytic?
Lockhart: You will discover us on the web at chitolytic.com, contact us there or through e mail at [email protected], and we’ll get again to you with any inquiries that you will have.
Beaton: That’s it for this episode of Trending: Pet Meals. You will discover us on PetfoodIndustry.com, SoundCloud or your favourite podcast platform. You’ll be able to additionally comply with us on Instagram, @trendingpetfoodpodcast. And if you wish to chat or have any suggestions, I would love to listen to from you. Really feel free to drop me an e mail: [email protected].
After all, thanks once more to our sponsor, AFB International, the premier provider of palatants to pet meals corporations worldwide, providing off-the-shelf and customized options that make pet meals treats and dietary supplements style nice.
As soon as once more, I am Lindsay Beaton, your host and editor of Petfood Trade journal, and we’ll speak to you subsequent time. Thanks for tuning in!
