With EUR 1.46 million in funding from the Danish Green Development and Demonstration Programme (GUDP), the RaTaPro project aims to develop a fermented protein based on rapeseed and seaweed and document its performance in pig feed. The goal is to make European rapeseed a competitive and more sustainable alternative to imported soy protein in pig feed.
Rapeseed is one of Europe’s most important protein crops, yet its use in pig feed remains limited.
The new GUDP-funded project, RaTaPro, aims to change that.
By developing a fermented protein based on rapeseed and seaweed and documenting its nutritional value and performance in pigs, the project will investigate whether European rapeseed can be upgraded into a high-value protein for pig production. The goal is to establish a documented alternative to imported soy protein based on European raw materials.
The project brings together Ocean Rainforest, Aalborg Universitet, Aarhus Universitet and Fermentationexperts. The partners contribute expertise in the production, fermentation and scale-up of rapeseed and seaweed, as well as characterisation of health-promoting properties and evaluation of digestibility, emissions and productivity in pigs. The project is supported by EUR 1.46 million in funding from GUDP over a four-year project period.
Developing a European Alternative to Imported Soy Protein
European livestock production currently imports large quantities of soy protein, and there is still no documented and competitive European alternative capable of replacing soy protein in pig feed.
At the same time, Denmark and the EU produce significant quantities of rapeseed, but its use in pig feed remains limited. Rapeseed is used for oil production, while the remaining meal is primarily used in cattle feed. RaTaPro will document whether fermented rapeseed, cultivated sugar kelp and wild-harvested seaweed can jointly replace part of the soy protein used in pig feed while maintaining productivity, reducing the climate footprint of the feed and supporting pig health.
“The feed ingredients of the future are not defined by protein content alone, but also by how efficiently nutrients can be utilised by pigs. Through RaTaPro, we will investigate how fermentation can enhance the value of European rapeseed and seaweed while supporting gut health and robustness in pigs,” says Pia Sørensen, Nutrition Development Director at Fermentationexperts.
Rapeseed and Seaweed to Be Tested in Combination
The project builds on existing knowledge showing that fermentation of rapeseed meal can break down naturally occurring compounds that inhibit nutrient utilisation and thereby improve protein digestibility. At the same time, seaweed will contribute bioactive compounds that may support gut function and health in pigs, particularly around weaning.
RaTaPro will investigate the combination of rapeseed and seaweed through a series of trials designed to identify the optimal ingredient composition and fermentation conditions.
As a central part of the project, digestibility and emission trials, as well as health assessments, will be conducted at AU Viborg – Research Centre Foulum, alongside a productivity trial under commercial conditions. The studies will evaluate the effects of fermented protein on growth performance, feed efficiency, and health in pigs compared with the soy protein sources currently used in pig feed.
The project will also include Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) to quantify the climate and environmental effects of partial replacement of the soy protein used in pig feed with European-produced rapeseed and seaweed. The results will provide feed manufacturers, advisers and pig producers with a solid scientific basis for assessing the potential of the approach.
“The strength of this project lies in combining the development of novel feed ingredients with thorough documentation under both controlled and commercial conditions. The objective is not only to develop an alternative to soy protein, but also to demonstrate how European rapeseed can contribute to a more sustainable protein supply for pig production in the future,” says Jan Værum Nørgaard, Professor at Aarhus University.
Potential for a New Market for European Rapeseed
If the project succeeds, the ambition is to create a new market for European rapeseed as a high-value protein source for pigs while contributing to a more robust and sustainable European protein supply.
By the end of the project, the aim is for the new fermented protein ingredient to be validated under commercial conditions and ready for commercial production for the Danish and European pig industry.
Facts About RaTaPro
- RaTaPro is an acronym for Fermented Rapeseed and Seaweed as an Alternative Protein Source for Pigs.
- Receives EUR 1.46 million in funding from GUDP (the Danish Green Development and Demonstration Programme).
- Develops and documents a fermented protein based on rapeseed and seaweed for pigs.
- Aims to create a documented and competitive European alternative to imported soy protein.
- Project partners: Fermentationexperts, Aarhus University, Aalborg University and Ocean Rainforest.
- Project period: 1 October 2026 to 30 June 2030.