Microalgae offer a sustainable alternative to fish oil for omega-3 fatty acids in pet food, providing EPA and DHA directly from their original source while reducing pressure on ocean fisheries and creating a more stable, controlled supply chain for pet food manufacturers.
- El Niño strengthens nutrient-rich upwelling in the Pacific, threatening fish populations like Peruvian anchoveta used for traditional fish oil production
- Microalgae are the original producers of EPA and DHA in the marine food chain, while fish only accumulate these fatty acids
- Microalgae production offers controlled, scalable technology compared to unpredictable marine extraction dependent on climate and fishing regulations
- Algae-based omega-3s provide greater consistency, traceability, and uniform ingredient quality compared to variable fish oil sources
- Pet food manufacturers can now maintain nutrition quality while preserving marine resources by using microalgae as an additional or alternative omega-3 source
The current potentially record-breaking El Niño may challenge conventional fish oil sources for omega-3 fatty acids. However, pet food producers have another option by going straight to the source of the fatty acids, algae.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that El Niño is strengthening, and the warmer eastern Pacific waters associated with the event can weaken nutrient-rich upwelling. This causes species such as Peruvian anchoveta, an important raw material for fish oil, to shift distribution or become more difficult to catch. This could further constrain supplies and increase price pressure for marine-based pet food ingredients, including fish oils used as sources of omega-3 fatty acids. The Food and Agriculture Organization stated that rising El Niño risk was already contributing to tighter fishmeal and fish oil markets in 2026.
However, pet food ingredient suppliers are preparing for the effects of these climatic events. Natália Moraes of DSM-Firmenich told Petfood Industry that her company is working to warn and prepare consumers about how El Nino may affect pet food producers.
Beyond a single year’s intense El Nino, pet food producers looking for sustainable sources of omega-3 fatty acids may find an alternative to traditional fish oil in microalgae, she said. Moraes discussed the approach during her presentation at CIPAL 2026 in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Sept. 23. She focused on the challenge of continuing to provide EPA and DHA in pet foods while considering the future availability of marine resources.
“Today, the challenge is exactly this: maintaining the increasingly balanced nutrition we already have, with more functional ingredients, but doing it in a sustainable way,” Moraes said, translated from Spanish. “In other words, feeding our pets today while also thinking about what tomorrow will look like and whether we will be able to continue providing all of this.”
Moraes identified EPA and DHA as strategic nutrients for dog and cat foods. During the presentation, she discussed their applications in skin and coat health and cardiovascular health. She also cited DHA in connection with cognitive, brain and visual development and EPA in connection with inflammatory processes and joint support.
At the same time, growing demand for omega-3 fatty acids presents a supply challenge, Moraes said.
“We have demand that continues to grow, but a supply that is completely limited and stable,” she said.
Moraes pointed to several factors that can affect marine ingredient supplies, including climate, regulations, fish availability and interruptions to fishing. These variables can expose companies relying on marine resources to fluctuations in availability.
Going directly to the omega-3 source
Microalgae offer another approach because they are the original producers of EPA and DHA in the marine food chain, Moraes explained.
“The truth is that fish do not produce EPA or DHA,” she said. “Fish only accumulate them. Microalgae are the ones that produce them.”
In the marine food chain, these fatty acids originate with microalgae and ultimately accumulate in fish. Traditional fish oil production therefore relies on fish as an intermediate source. Biotechnology provides an opportunity to access microalgae directly, Moraes said.
“We can access the microalgae directly,” she said. “We eliminate this entire chain, we stop putting pressure on the oceans, and we can directly access the algae that are the true producers.”
Moraes contrasted a traditional model dependent on marine extraction and natural variability with microalgae production, which she described as a controlled and scalable technology. As demand grows, she said, microalgae production has the potential to increase supply without the same dependence on fisheries.
For pet food producers, that distinction could have implications beyond sustainability. Moraes said controlled production can provide greater traceability, more uniform lots and more consistent ingredient quality.
Consistency may benefit pet food production
During the question-and-answer portion of the presentation, Moraes addressed the palatability of microalgae oil compared with fish oil. She emphasized consistency rather than claiming superior palatability.
“What we can guarantee is that the palatability is stable,” she said. “It is not that the palatability is better than fish oil, but we know that fish oil has a great deal of variability.”
Fish oil can vary depending on factors including its source and season, Moraes said. Greater consistency in an omega-3 ingredient could help pet food manufacturers reduce variation in finished products.
Moraes positioned microalgae as an additional source of EPA and DHA rather than suggesting fish oil would disappear from pet food formulations. Fish oil remains widely used, but she said it is no longer the only option available to manufacturers.
“With microalgae oil, we no longer have to decide between providing better nutrition or preserving better,” Moraes said. “We have the possibility of doing both.”
For pet food manufacturers, microalgae-derived omega-3s could provide another way to maintain access to EPA and DHA while reducing dependence on marine extraction and building a more predictable supply chain.
