Omega-3 fatty acids sourced from wild-caught fish stocks are valued for their studied health benefits such as healthy skin, joints, heart and brain function along with enhanced immunity, but this has resulted in a reduction in fish stocks globally. A Scottish firm is working on a solution, in the form of omega-3s made from whisky waste.
Fish don't produce omega-3 fatty acids themselves, but from ingesting marine algae in their diet. MiAlgae, a Scottish biotech company established in 2016, likewise uses the leftover barley grains used in whisky production (that would normally be discarded) to produce a plant-based, low-carbon alternative to fish-based omega-3 fatty acids.
The nutrient-rich barley grain leftovers are used to feed the algae in MiAlgae’s specially designed fermentation tanks, generating omega-3-rich micro-algae that is dehydrated and processed into large quantities of fish-free omega-3 pet food and commercial fish feed products.
The company states that modular production hubs can be built quickly near distilleries and key customers, allowing it to collect the grain leftovers with ease and efficiency.
MiAlgae has recently received an investment of 3 million pounds from both the Scottish and UK governments. A new production facility located in Grangemouth, Scotland is set to open in early 2026 that will boost production by more than tenfold and reportedly save six billion fish annually by replacing marine-sourced omega-3, recycling 36.1 million liters of whisky by-products.
MiAlgae claims that it has so far saved the equivalent of 2.1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, used 639 million liters of whisky by-products, and replaced 1.6 million tonnes of wild fish.
Source: MiAlgae
