A trailblazer for new and sustainable raw materials • Pronofa ASA

Pronofa ASA

Pronofa was established in 2021 as a spin-off from Denofa, a cornerstone company in Fredrikstad. The goal was to identify new and sustainable raw materials.

The U.N. states that global food production must increase by 70% by 2050, when the world population is expected to surpass 10 billion. Therefore, we need more sources of food.

Ciona (tunicates)

Pronofa’s breakthrough came when we took a closer look at a small marine animal called tunicates, specifically the local species Ciona. From this animal-derived raw material, we have succeeded in creating an ingredient that can be used in dishes where you would normally use ground meat.

The Ciona-based ingredient Purply has a mild and pleasant taste, beneficial nutritional content—and, in addition, an exceptionally low climate footprint.

Om Pronofa ASA

This is Purply

Pronofa ASA is the first in the world to use tunicates in large-scale food production.

There are around 3,000 different types of tunicates found around the world. Some of these marine animals are considered delicacies in countries like South Korea («Meongge»), Chile («Piure») and France («Figue de Mer»), where they are usually served raw.

Purply, however, is a refined product made from the Nordic species Ciona. Our ingredient can be used in dishes where traditional ground meat is typically used, such as lasagna, stews, or meatballs.

Climate and the environment

Purply also has a climate footprint of only 0,2 kg. CO₂-eq/kg– which is extremely low, whether you compare it to other animal-based raw materials or plant-based ingredients used in food production.

This equals less than 1 percent of the climate footprint of red meat, or less than half that of most types of vegetables and fruit. The reason is that Ciona can be cultivated in a natural environment without feeding, pesticides, medication, freshwater use, or land use.

Furthermore, this type of low-trophic aquaculture helps improve marine ecosystems and creates healthier fjords with cleaner water. Tunicates like Ciona feed on plankton (algae). These form in abundant amounts when there are too many nutrients in the sea. The Oslofjord in particular, but also several other fjords, struggle with frequent algal blooms. This leads to a lack of sun exposure and low oxygen levels, which severely affects other species that also belong to the fjord.

purplyfood.com