HOW CFARMX STARTED - THE BLUE STORY
The New Zealand aquaculture industry has positioned itself at the high-end of the market, exporting premium seafood products around the world.
The most significant sector within NZ aquaculture is the Greenshell Mussel (GSM) industry. GSM are farmed on hanging lines suspended from buoyed longlines in Marlborough Sounds, Coromandel Peninsula, Canterbury, Tasman, Hauraki Gulf, and Stewart Island.
Greenshell Mussels are native to New Zealand, unique to New Zealand’s pristine waters, and have been ranked one of the top two eco-friendly seafoods in the world by the International Conservation Organization Blue Ocean Institute.
Blue Mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) grow near the top of the mussel lines amongst the Greenshell Mussels and, with steady growth, the mussel industry has experienced an abundance of Blue Mussels, presenting an opportunity to capitalise on the benefits of this natural resource. Seizing this opportunity, our directors Nick McMillan and Ben Forrest began processing Blue Mussels in 2019 into pet nutrition ingredients, supported by industry partners and the Provincial Growth Fund.
The process technology includes using enzymatic hydrolysis to produce a stable liquid. The method is rapid and reproducible, avoids the extremes of chemical and physical treatments, minimises undesirable reactions which can destroy valuable components, and its liquid form allows separation of bio functional ingredients or concentration prior to drying. The process allows Cfarmx to customise products to meet supplement/functional food manufacturer’s specifications.
In 2019 it was a natural progression to partner with NZ owned and operated Talley’s, ensuring direct supply of sustainably farmed Mussels with full traceability from clean, unpolluted waters surrounding New Zealand. The partnership with Talley’s has created an opportunity for Cfarmx to apply its process technology to Greenshell Mussels and other marine based raw ingredients creating a range of functional ingredients such as Greenshell Mussel powder, oil, peptides, and a range of collagen products. Our innovative process technology preserves bioactive and functional components, ensuring ingredients are delivered to you in the highest quality form.
Founding Directors: Nick McMillan and Ben Forrest