DECAMEAL
Sustainable protein for animal feed - made from crabs
Why use crabs?
One of the issues that Decameal is addressing, is the common shore crab.
This particular species of crabs has exploded in numbers over the past 20 years, and the species now has a significant negative impact on our marine ecosystems. They are essentially overplaying their role as cleaners of the sea, and their large appetite now affects other species negatively.
Where the crabs increase in numbers, a loss of biodiversity follows. The common shore crab (Carcinus maenas) feeds on fish eggs and larvae, thereby impacting the fish stocks in many generations to come. The crabs also feed on a wide range of mussels and clams, and they have been the direct cause of the collapse of mussel fisheries around the world. Lastly but not least, the crabs degrade the all-important eelgrass meadows by destroying and destabilizing the rootsystems.
That is why we want to do something about this hungry crustacean!
The ecological and societal impact of harvesting crabs can also be enormous, as removal of the crabs improves something that belongs to all of us - our coastal waters. This benefits all of us, as Decameal will help restore balance in the ecosystems, heighten biodiversity, and bring a much needed income through crab fisheries to the many small-scale and sustainable fishermen who bring life and culture to our small costal towns. As millions and millions are spent on restoring our ecosystems to a healthier state, removal of crabs could be a key player in achieving this goal.
On a national scale we want to reduce the amount of CO2 produced by our agricultural sector here in Denmark. If just 1% of the available crab resource in our coastal waters is utilized for protein each year, it could save the feed sector more than 2,500,000 tons of CO2 compared to imported soy (Estimate from preliminary LCA). This way, we can help the Danish agricultural sector move closer to the goal of reducing emissions by 8,000,000 tons by 2030.
The removal of crabs also has the benefit of removing nutrients from the Danish waters. By using 1% of the available crab-biomass in Denmark, 11.000 tons of nitrogen and 7.000 tons of phosphorus could be removed from our waters each year. This also brings us closer to our national goals.
Population increase
Increase in crab populations in Denmark from 2016 to 2019. Darker colours represent a higher biomass of crabs per catch.
Source: https://www.fiskepleje.dk/kyster/fangstregistrering
Crabs around the world
PRODUCT LINE
At Decameal, we obtain three valuable products from the crabs:
Decameal flour. This feed supplement currently contains >43% protein, calcium, the pigment astaxanthin, and a suitable amino acid composition. This flour is our main product and is intended to be used as a protein supplement in feed blends for organic egg-laying hens.
Decameal concentrate. A smaller fraction of the crab content can be concentrated to contain >60% crude protein through our process. This product is ideal for more high-end uses, such as petfood and aquafeed. The concentrate also has great future potential for human consumption, as a flavor enhancement product.
Decameal shells. In our process, we separate as much shell material as possible so that the flour can be used in feed blends where excessive calcium is unwanted. This leaves us with a shell powder that contains significant amounts of astaxanthin, chitin, and up to 20% protein. In the near future, we will focus on extracting these very valuable compounds on a larger scale, with use-cases in a large range of products and sectors.
The idea of using crabs for feed and food has been tried and done many times over and in many different cultures. The innovation of Decameal lies in the idea that a crab consists of many parts, that when broken down and extracted, become much more usable and valuable. The more concentrated our compounds are, whether it be our protein concentrate, or our shell materials, the easier they are to utilize for our end users. The method used for separation and concentration of the different compounds is entirely novel, and developed by the two original founders. The idea for Decameal was hatched during a course in Bio Entrepreneurship at Aarhus university, while the founders were completing their masters in aquatic biology. The combination of a background in biology, with entry level startup-knowledge, led to the start of Decameal
MEAL
>43% raw protein
10-15% calcium
Ideal for organic, egg laying hens, containing both protein, calcium and pigment.
This compound can also be reduced in calcium levels, and used in a broad range of different feed mixes.
CONCENTRATE
>60% raw protein
>15% lipids
Ideal for high value feeds like petfood or aquaculture, with underway in both sectors
Rich in umami flavor and protein, as well as a complex lipid profile
SHELLS
Chitin
Astaxanthin
Protein
Our shells are perhaps the most exciting part of our product line.
With multiple usages within several different sectors, The shells and the compounds they contain will be the next big thing from Decameal.
About the team
Decameal was started by Happylan Natkunarajah and Leander Hessner. Both founders are biologists, with a specialization in management and ecology of aquatic ecosystems, and with a huge passion for our oceans..
Happylan is head of production development and handles most of the new production methods and testing. Leander is head of administration, communications and out-reach, and handles all contact with investors, partners, and customers. In late 2023, the two biologists met Mikkel Kongsfelt, and was lucky enough to attract him as Decameals third co-founder. Mikkel is in charge of fundraising, investments, IP, and legal, and brings enormous competencies and experience to the founder team.
Decameal was started through a course in “Bio-entrepreneurship” at Aarhus University in 2020, where the initial idea was hatched. Ever since the two original founders graduated in 2021, the teams has been working around to clock to make Decameal a reality. The hard work has resulted in soft funding from both Fonden for entreprenørskab, Food & Biocluster Denmark, Innovationsfonden, AgriFoodTure and many more.
In November 2022, Decameal received an "Innofounder" from Innovationsfonden, that enabled both original founders to work full-time.
In 2024 and 2025, Decameal is funded by the AgriFoodTure grant, that has awarded 4,2 mio. dkk, to build a pilot production and validate the entire value chain - from fisherman to finished feed!
WITH SUPPORT FROM
