Growing demand in the fisheries sector has resulted in a high generation of side-streams that are mainly treated as waste despite their potential value in terms of protein, fatty acids, and minerals. The WaSeaBi project, funded by the EU under the Horizon 2020 BBI JU initiative, seeks to address this problem by promoting the sustainable and economically viable utilisation of these side-streams, thus contributing to improved food security and environmental conservation. The project focuses on the development of innovative technologies and methodologies for the efficient valorisation of seafood side-streams into marketable products such as protein-based food ingredients, bioactive peptides, and mineral supplements. The WaSeaBi project started with a comprehensive analysis to identify the bottlenecks hindering the efficient utilisation of side-streams. To this end, a comprehensive study of the European seafood industry was conducted to understand the existing challenges. The main obstacles identified were technological deficiencies, lack of space and personnel, and a limited market for the resulting products. Several laboratory-scale technologies, such as pH-shift, enzymatic hydrolysis, membrane concentration, and flocculation with centrifugation, were explored in order to extract valuable components from the side-streams. Subsequently, these technologies were scaled-up and tested on a pilot scale. For example, membrane concentration technology facilitated the recovery of valuable molecules from mussel cooking side-streams while reducing environmental impact. Flocculation helped recover proteins and phosphates from process waters, crucial for reducing the organic load of effluents. In addition, decision-making tools were developed to help select and build the most appropriate valorisation strategies, taking into account technical, legal, economic, and environmental aspects. Environmental sustainability was assessed through life cycle assessment, which highlighted the factors that contribute most to the environmental impact of each technology. The results revealed that reducing chemical consumption and improving energy efficiency are key to optimising the environmental performance of the valorisation technologies. The WaSeaBi project outlines a promising path towards sustainable and economically beneficial utilisation of seafood side-streams. By employing innovative technologies, the project not only contributes to reducing waste and environmental impact, but also facilitates the transformation of low-value side-streams into high-value products. In addition, it provides a structured framework to help industry stakeholders make informed decisions on the valorisation of secondary streams. This initiative marks a substantial step towards a more sustainable and economically viable fisheries and aquaculture industry, setting a precedent for future projects aimed at overcoming technological and infrastructural barriers to the valorisation of seafood side-streams.

The demand for clean-cut seafood fillets has led to an increase in fish processing side streams, which are often considered to be low-value waste despite their potential as a source of high-quality proteins. Valorizing these side streams through innovative methods could significantly enhance global food security, reduce environmental impacts, and support circular economy principles. This study evaluates the environmental sustainability of protein recovery from herring, salmon, and cod side streams using pH-shift technology, a method that uses acid or alkaline solubilization followed by isoelectric precipitation to determine its viability as a sustainable alternative to conventional enzymatic hydrolysis. Through a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), five key environmental impact categories were analyzed: carbon footprint, acidification, freshwater eutrophication, water use, and cumulative energy demand, based on a functional unit of 1 kg of the protein ingredient (80% moisture). The results indicate that sodium hydroxide (NaOH) use is the dominant environmental impact driver across the categories, while energy sourcing also significantly affects outcomes. Compared to conventional fish protein hydrolysate (FPH) production, pH-shift technology achieves substantial reductions in carbon footprint, acidification, and water use, exceeding 95%, highlighting its potential for lower environmental impacts. The sensitivity analyses revealed that renewable energy integration could further enhance sustainability. Conducted at a pilot scale, this study provides crucial insights into optimizing fish side stream processing through pH-shift technology, marking a step toward more sustainable seafood production and reinforcing the value of renewable energy and chemical efficiency in reducing environmental impacts. Future work should address scaling up, valorizing residual fractions, and expanding comparisons with alternative technologies to enhance sustainability and circularity.