Revolutionary Technology Eliminates Off-Flavors and Water Mold in RAS Production: A Game-Changer for Sustainable Seafood

New Fiber Technology Tackles Off-Flavors and Water Mold in Fish Farming

Researchers at the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and VTT Technical Research Centre have created an exciting new way to tackle off-flavors and water mold in aquaculture systems. These issues are significant hurdles for fish farming worldwide.

By using specially treated fibers, this innovative technology helps trap bad flavors in fish before they can affect taste and market value.

“These cellulose-based materials will capture water mold spores and off-flavor compounds, stopping them from sticking to the fish,” explained Hannes Orelma from VTT.

Water mold is a big problem in fish farming, causing production losses of up to 10% each year in salmon farms. It’s not just about money; water mold can also threaten the conservation of fish species in aquaculture.

Finding ways to control water mold is vital for both the economy of fish farms and protecting biodiversity in these systems.

“We’ve made real progress in tackling off-flavors and water mold,” said Jani Lehto from Luke. “These solutions could really enhance the profitability of farms.”

At an experimental facility in Laukaa, researchers tested chemically treated fibers and found that they captured off-flavor compounds incredibly well—up to 1,000 times more than found in untreated water.

After treatment, off-flavors in the fish dropped below detectable levels, promising better quality fish and happier consumers.

“It’s exciting because there haven’t been many new solutions to this problem in recent years,” said Petra Lindholm-Lehto from Luke.

At another facility in Enonkoski, fibers designed to trap water mold spores showed significant success in reducing these spores in the water.

“We still don’t know everything about how water mold behaves in aquaculture, and earlier solutions have often been unsafe or ineffective. Our method uses harmless materials, which makes our findings very promising,” added Lindholm-Lehto.

Patents for these innovations have been filed, indicating a promising future for this technology.

“Our results are encouraging and suggest that these solutions hold great potential,” said Lehto. “Next, we’ll focus on refining these approaches for real-world fish farms.”