JEALSA MANAGES TO USE UP 100% OF THE RAW MATERIALS THANKS TO ITS CIRCULAR ECONOMY SYSTEM.

The company has announced that, through We Sea and thanks to an innovative Circular Economy system, it has managed to use up 100% of the fish that arrives at its premises.

• Through We Sea, the CSR programme, the company runs a system for the total use of the raw materials that arrive at its facilities.
• The company manages to revalue the fish and water used for cooking, developing new products for animal consumption, the pharmaceutical, nutritional and cosmetic industries, amongst others.
• The project has the support of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC in Spanish), and the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI in Spanish).

Madrid, 25th February 2020. Jealsa, a leading group in the production of canned fish and shellfish, continues to establish itself as a company committed to sustainability and care for the environment, especially for the seas and oceans.

The corporation announced, through We Sea, its Corporate Social Responsibility programme, and thanks to an innovative circular economy system, that it has managed to use up 100% of the raw material from the fish that arrives at the premises.

“It is a question of responsibility to find the best use for the parts of the fish that are not intended for canning”, said Ángeles Claro, Director of We Sea. “We have implemented a pioneering valorisation ecosystem of the industry, whereby different companies daily receive the raw materials they transform into high-quality products for different industries such as aquaculture, pet food or even functional ingredients”, she added.

Under the premise of achieving full use of the raw materials, 45% is used for products intended for human consumption, through the corporation’s own brands, such as Escurís or Rianxeira.

A part is also used for pet food, through the company Pet Select.

35% go to by-products such as fishmeal and fish oil (30%), is consumed by the aquaculture sector and other related industries.

Lastly, 20% goes to new valorisation processes. This is done through one of the companies belonging to the Jealsa group, namely Valora Marine Ingredients, which offers products of natural origin to industries such as pharmaceutical or cosmetic, amongst others, making a sensible and comprehensive use of marine resources.

Valora Marine Ingredients, inspired by the sea and its resources

Valora Marine Ingredients was created with the aim of giving the raw materials of the fishing industry a differential value, as well as, valuing new fractions through internally developed lines of work and in collaboration with multiple research centres.

As David Cabanelas, Managing Director of Valora Marine Ingredients, points out, “Jealsa has developed a unique valorisation ecosystem within the industry, constantly searching for new horizons. This sensibility for the comprehensive use of all resources is part of the company’s DNA”.

“In the last two years, Valora alone, has launched 4 new lines of valorisation based on the use of technology that respects the product and the environment. For this, we apply the concept of a marine biorefinery which uses selective fractioning and extraction techniques to ensure optimal characteristics for our clients”, concludes David Cabanelas.

We Invest & Sea, full commitment to the Circular Economy

The circular economy system implemented by Jealsa is one of the key performance ideas of We Sea, the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility programme. A large part of the R&D&I resources are allocated to the raw material transformation and packing stage as this is the stage of the value chain where by-products and effluents are generated.

The Jealsa group has the collaboration of different national and European organisations that certify the effectiveness and viability of its circular economy system, such as the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC in Spanish), through Vigo Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC in Spanish).

In turn, the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI in Spanish), which answers to the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, supports this work through aid co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Smart Growth Multi-Regional Operational Programme.

For the last three years, Jealsa and Valora Marine Ingredients have been collaborating intensively with Recycling and Valorisation of Waste Materials (REVAL) and Food Biochemistry groups belonging to Vigo Institute of Marine Research (IIM-CSIC in Spanish), “in the search for solutions to valorise by-products and effluents generated in their processing plants”, as pointed out by Xosé Antón Vázquez, leader of the REVAL group, “under the framework of action of efficient and sustainable strategies”.

Furthermore, he added, “from a scientific point of view, this collaboration represents an excellent opportunity to improve the productive yields of the canning industry. Valora’s goals are in perfect harmony with our scientific philosophy, making this collaboration a challenge and a very positive feedback when working at industrial level”.