How to break through the production dilemma of DHA

DHA algae oil, as a polyunsaturated fatty acid extracted from marine microalgae, is rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is beneficial to the human body, and plays an important role in the development of the brain and retina. Due to its wide application in the fields of health foods such as infant formula and maternal nutrition, the DHA algae oil industry has developed rapidly in recent years. The upstream of the industrial chain includes the cultivation and collection of microalgae, the midstream focuses on the extraction and processing of microalgae, and the downstream is the packaging and sales of algae oil.

Although the production of algae oil DHA has broad market prospects and important health value, the production process of algae oil DHA is a complex and delicate process. Although with the advancement of technology, production efficiency and product quality are constantly improving, there are still some challenges and difficulties.

As the main strain for producing DHA, Schizochytrium schizochytrium comes from the deep sea and has special growth and development conditions, which is more difficult than ordinary strains. Moreover, the stability and yield of these algae species are affected by a variety of environmental factors, such as temperature, light, nutrient concentration, etc. Therefore, ensuring the stability of raw materials is very important for the production of DHA algae oil. At the same time, the yield and purity of DHA can be improved by artificial breeding and optimization of algae species. However, this process requires a long time and a lot of R&D investment, and there are uncertainties, such as genetic variation, which may lead to breeding failure. The acquisition, screening and optimization of strains are the difficulties in DHA large-scale production technology.

Algae oil DHA mainly includes fermentation control technology and extraction and purification technology. The fermentation process needs to be carried out in a fermenter. Controlling parameters such as temperature, humidity, light, and oxygen concentration during the fermentation process is crucial to the quality and yield of the final product. However, the precise control of these parameters requires advanced equipment and technical support, and is easily affected by the external environment.

Secondly, extracting DHA from the fermentation broth and purifying it is a key link in the production process. Traditional extraction methods may have problems such as low efficiency and high cost. Although new extraction and purification technologies (such as solvent-free extraction technology) have improved efficiency and purity, they have high technical barriers and require professional equipment and technicians.

As a high-value product, algae oil DHA is crucial for quality control. During the production process, it is necessary to strictly comply with the requirements of quality management systems such as GMP to ensure the purity and safety of the product. However, this will also increase production costs and testing costs. At the same time, raw material prices, energy consumption, equipment depreciation, labor costs, etc. are all important factors affecting the production cost of algae oil DHA. How to reduce production costs while ensuring product quality is an important issue that manufacturers need to face.

In summary, the production of algae oil DHA faces many difficulties in raw material supply, production process, quality control, cost control, market demand and competition, and policies and regulations.

In order to overcome these difficulties, HSF has continuously innovated and improved technology. In the development and cooperation for ten years, it has deepened the production strain breeding strategy, high-yield strain breeding and optimization technology, and accumulated fermentation technology experience and production experience. With the help of modern biotechnology, information technology and engineering equipment, the team has achieved multi-link optimization and reconstruction in the research methods and fermentation processes of fermentation, and gradually solved the problem of DHA algae oil industrialization.

Microbial strains are the basis of biological fermentation manufacturing. Therefore, since the establishment of the HSF Microbiological Laboratory in 2012, the team has long been committed to strain screening and biological fermentation technology. After nearly ten years of technological development, it has established advanced high-throughput detection and screening technology and device platforms, including equipment-based flow cytometry technology, droplet microfluidics technology, microplate screening technology, etc., which can quickly identify dominant strains. In the selection of DHA strains, in 2016, 218 original strains from home and abroad were selected, and after thousands of experiments, Schizochytrium HSc-01 with high DHA production was successfully isolated. The batch growth is stable, the bacteria are uniform and full in color, and the maximum total DHA content can reach 70%.

While screening strains, the team also continuously accumulates fermentation technology and production experience in experiments, develops production processes for iterative strains, and has experienced several demolition and reconstruction plans in six years, and has made 32 major and minor improvements, and finally confirmed the fermentation and production processes.

In terms of optimizing fermentation conditions and precise control, HSF uses advanced synthetic biology technology to analyze bacterial growth and key enzyme characteristics, and continuously optimizes fermentation conditions such as fermentation temperature, oxygen, pH value, substrate, and nutrient supplementation amount and method. It uses internationally advanced fully automatic fermentation equipment to precisely control bacterial growth and transformation conditions, achieve high-yield fermentation products, and has made major breakthroughs in the industrialization of microbial fermentation.

In terms of product separation technology, HSF mainly focuses on two aspects of research: one is the efficient separation of lipid nutrients, and the other is the efficient separation of pollutants. In the separation process of DHA, the functional structure of DHA algae oil is protected to the maximum extent, and the influence of aldehydes and ketones in DHA algae oil on flavor is reduced as much as possible, which minimizes the residues in the product and the chemical reactions produced. The extracted DHA algae oil has high purity and stable batch content. The DHA content far exceeds the standards of my country and Europe and the United States, and the EPA content is extremely low, which is more suitable for infant formula products~

Starting from 2022, Haisfu has invested 110 million to build a fermentation production line that can perfectly display Haisfu's R&D technology accumulation. This fermentation production line brings together the wisdom of Mrs. Haisfu for more than ten years. It is the most suitable for the industrialization of DHA algae oil at this stage, with the highest degree of advancement and the largest thousand-ton production line.

Although DHA algae oil can be directly added or eaten in actual applications, its usage may be relatively simple and the dosage may not be easy to control. As a professional manufacturer who understands customers better, HSF has tried its best to extend the application scope of DHA algae oil and create a full range of product platforms for customers. With the support of VegeLipi® technology, it has also launched DHA algae oil powder that is easier to use. Through functional oil embedding technology, it perfectly solves the application problems of DHA algae oil, such as poor bioavailability, poor water solubility, easy oxidation, poor taste, difficulty in premixing, and difficulty in transportation. HSF's microencapsulation technology has been continuously polished in actual production and higher requirements put forward by customers. It has established a scientific self-developed emulsification system and matched the best product customization solutions according to different application requirements.