Europe’s major salmon producers are increasingly incorporating chicken byproducts into fish feed, signaling a shift in industry practices amid efforts to reduce costs and environmental impact. This development challenges a longstanding consumer resistance in the region, where many have viewed livestock-based feed for salmon as “unnatural.”
Leroy Seafood Group, one of Norway’s largest salmon farmers and a supplier to the UK supermarket Tesco, confirmed it has adopted chicken-derived ingredients across its offshore farms. Meanwhile, Mowi, the world’s top salmon producer and supplier to retailers including Sainsbury’s and Asda, is reportedly planning to introduce poultry-based feed at its operations in Norway and Scotland, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Historically, British regulations banned the use of livestock byproducts in fish feed until 2013, largely due to concerns over disease transmission such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Since the ban was lifted, the practice has remained controversial, with supermarkets reluctant to stock farmed salmon fed on such ingredients for fear of alienating consumers.
“This is a very sensitive issue. Consumers have historically been very sceptical. But the market seems to be more ready,” said Margareth Overland, a professor of aquaculture nutrition at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.
Producers argue that incorporating chicken into salmon diets is both cost-effective and environmentally advantageous. The price of traditional fishmeal, sourced from wild fish stocks, has nearly doubled in the past two years due to declining fish populations and higher demand from China, while poultry feed costs less than half per tonne. An executive at a major salmon-feed producer noted that salmon are naturally carnivorous and consume other fish in the wild, making chicken a natural alternative to traditional fish-based feed.
The shift also benefits the poultry industry. Alistair Collins, a director at animal byproducts processor J G Pears, said demand from aquaculture has increased the value of chicken remains as a feed ingredient, emphasizing that aquaculture has become an important market for byproducts that might otherwise be underutilized.
Despite these industry developments, consumer acceptance remains divided. A recent study conducted by the food institute Nomida found that consumers in the UK and France perceive feeding chicken to salmon as “unnatural and disgusting,” according to Florent Govaerts, a researcher at the institute.
Supermarkets have been cautious in their public statements. Tesco and Asda did not respond to requests for comment, while Sainsbury’s stated that poultry-derived ingredients are banned in feed for its own-label salmon but did not clarify whether this restriction applies to salmon from other brands it sells.
As producers push ahead with poultry-based feed, the balance between cost pressures, environmental considerations, and consumer preferences will play a critical role in shaping the future of European salmon farming.