Mainstreaming sidestreams: Food products made from salmon

Karkkila / FI. (hai) Finnish food technology company Hailia will start manufacturing food products from salmon sidestreams provided by fish processing company Hätälä. Hailia’s technology turns the parts of the fish left on the filleting table, such as fins, heads, and frames, into a tasty and easy-to-use raw material for the food industry. A new way of utilizing sidestreams, the partnership further improves sustainability in the fish processing industry and responds to a growing global demand for seafood products.

Hätälä manufactures fish products for retail, wholesale and the food service industry. In addition to its home market in Finland, the company operates in the Swedish, Danish, French, German, Austrian, Italian, Swiss, and UK markets. The company invests in sustainability by, for example, improving the environmental footprint and recyclability of its packaging materials and by introducing sensor technology to help reduce the water and electricity consumption of their operations.

(Photos: Hailia Nordic Oy)

With Hailia’s technology, the utilization rate of Norwegian salmon can be brought to a new level, with more than 90% of the salmon used for human food. In addition to improving sustainability, this can be a significant boost to profitability to an industry that struggles with declining quotas and increasing environmental obligations while demand for seafood grows steadily.

«With Hailia’s innovative technology, a bigger part of the fish can be used to create nutritious, high-quality seafood. Sustainability guides all our operations at Hätälä, and we want to promote sustainable development in the entire aquaculture industry. As a fourth generation family-owned company, we cherish our traditions, but at the same time we welcome new circular solutions and resource-wise processes,» says Veikko Leinonen, CEO of Hätälä.

(Photos: Hailia Nordic Oy)

Fish products produced with Hailia’s technology have raised significant interest, especially due to their structure, which differs from other products made from sidestreams. The mouth feel resembles that of cooked fish fillet, and the products can be used in, for example, pasta sauces, salads or sandwiches without additional treatment.

«Versatile, high-quality, and affordable seafood is interesting to consumers as well as the restaurant and food service industry. Due to their structure, the salmon products made from sidestreams are suitable for many different kinds of foods. They are also ready to use, which makes them attractive to constantly busy restaurant kitchens. I believe that the products will be successful in multiple markets,» says Petri Tiikkala, Sales Manager at Hätälä.

(Photos: Hailia Nordic Oy)

Previously, Hailia mainly manufactured food products out of small pelagics, but last year, the company decided to change its strategy and focus on commercializing its proprietary technology towards the salmon- and whitefish industry. The growing demand for Hailia technology has led to the company raising growth funding during the final quarter of this year.

«We are very proud to have Hätälä, one of the market leaders in Finland and an internationally known company, trust our concept and be the first company to offer its customers a raw material made from the sidestreams from Norwegian salmon. Sustainability has become more and more important in the industry, and we are actively negotiating with foreign fish processing companies about the licensing of our technology. We have had a very busy year, and it has proved that our new strategy was the right choice,» says Michaela Lindström, CEO of Hailia.

In April 2024, Hailia won the World Food Innovation Award for best technology, and the company was listed as one of the 30 most interesting circular economy solutions for nature by the World Circular Economy Forum.

About: Hailia Nordic Oy develops novel and resource-efficient seafood processing technologies and produces innovative seafood products. Founded 2021, the company aims to revolutionize resource efficiency in the seafood industry by maximizing the use of underutilized fish raw materials. The technology transforms these materials into high-value seafood products, contributing to a more sustainable food system. The company also licenses its cutting-edge technology to fish processing companies internationally. Investors and partners include Nordic Foodtech VC, Heino Group Oy, and Tradeka-sijoitus Oy.

About: Hätälä Oy is one of Finland’s largest fish processing companies, handling 18 million kilograms of fish annually at its factory. The company employs around 200 permanent workers and up to 350 during peak seasons. Over 400 Finnish professional fishermen supply domestic wild fish to the company. Hätälä`s main raw material salmon are coming from North Norway and Scandinavian fresh rainbow trout. In addition to BRC certification, we also have GlobalGap, ASC and MSC certifications. Oulu location is ideal since our main raw material, Norwegian salmon, is only 8-12 hours distance by trucks.