The products that are the result of our process depend largely upon the raw materials used, since our technology can be applied to a great variety of animal protein raw materials. Asta forecasts the initial use of raw materials will be from marine fish sources. Asta’s process will transform these under utilized and non-marketable raw materials into valuable products such as:

Pasteurized protein powder – A food ingredient for humans, companion pets, aquaculture feed, animal feed, and for use as an organic fertilizer. The advantages of pasteurized protein powder are the following benefits:

• a complete animal protein base (soy lacks two essential amino acids)
• more efficiently utilized and digested in the body (greater bioavailability)
• less expensive to produce compared to whey protein isolate
• exists in powder form
• mixes with water
• very stable, it has a long shelf-life; measured in years
• the key ingredient for the development of aquaculture larval diets (filling the gap in a $35 billion aquaculture feed business)

Marine oils (Omega-3)* – A nutraceutical for humans, companion pets, aquaculture feed, and animal feed. Omega-3 oil is thought to be effective in a number of areas, including proper cardiac function and better mental acuity. Our process is such that it limits and significantly retards the oxidation of the Omega-3 oils.

Shark cartilage (used to produce chondroitin)** – A nutraceutical for humans and companion pets, thought to be effective in treatment of arthritis.

Calcium hydroxy apatite (Ca10(PO4)6OH2) or calcium phosphate (CaPO4); when fish is the raw material – A nutraceutical for humans, companion pets, aquaculture feed, and animal feed. Of particular interest is Asta’s claim of high quality calcium hydroxy apatite for human applications, since we project that most of it will be derived from fish bone. This is because fish bone has the same relative ratio of calcium to phosphorus as human bone and is a known source of calcium for humans i.e., canned salmon and canned sardines with the bones left in.

As an important fact, the calcium/phosphorus ratio of terrestrial animals is different than that of marine animals. Therefore it is interesting to note, this ratio in human bones more closely resembles the ratio of marine animals. Studies performed in Japan and Korea in the mid 1990s suggest marine sources of calcium have superior “bioavailability” properties compared to terrestrial animals.

Currently, value-added products like those listed above, are sold in markets that annually total $180 billion. And these markets have historically grown at a 10% per annum or greater.

* Note: Marine oils are recovered only in raw materials derived from marine species.

** Note: Shark cartilage, a nutraceutical associated with good joint health: recovered only in raw materials containing shark.