Marine Algae to Feed Animals
Cornell University animal sciences professor Xingen Lei is trying marine algae as a supplement and to replace soybean and corn in animal feed. He hopes to save thousands of acres of cropland by using marine algae for animal feed. Lei found that dried defatted algae derived from biofuel production can replace up to one-third of soybean meal in diets for pigs and chickens. It contains 20-70 % of protein, compared to about 10 percent in corn and 40 percent in soy.
The team is now working to determine which algae are best, and the proper ratios of algae, soybean and corn in the animal diet. They are also discerning whether there are risks or additional health benefits for humans in resultant products, such as meat and eggs.
Lei’s algae, with a single cell, possess a simple structure, which makes them easier to break down, for the production of biofuels. As Lei and his team use the biofuel byproduct for animal feed production, the process would be commercial viable.
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