Sustainable Oils sees feed potential in camelina meal

Camelina meal is currently being tested for broilers and a Generally Recognised as Safe (GRAS) certification is being sought for cattle and pigs, according to Sustainable Oils.

The company is building markets and momentum for the commercial camelina business in Montana, the Pacific Northwest, and southern Canada.

Sustainable Oils has already secured sales contracts for camelina oil and meal from its 2008 harvested crop, and the seeds are currently being crushed by Montana Specialty Mills in Great Falls, Montana.

There is a growing interest and demand for both camelina oil and meal, and the company's goal is to build a strong and sustainable foundation for the camelina industry, and creating markets for both oil and meal is essential, said Scott Johnson, president of Sustainable Oils.

While virtually all of the camelina oil produced by Sustainable Oils in 2009 will be used to produce aviation fuel and green diesel, the company has contracted camelina meal - the byproduct of camelina oil extraction - for sale to broiler production.

With protein levels of 40 percent or more, camelina meal provides similar overall protein as soymeal with the added benefits of camelina's unique amino acid and fatty acid profile.

The company is working with other members of the North America Camelina Trade Association (NACTA), to secure regulatory approvals for feeding camelina meal.

Earlier this year, the FDA issued a letter allowing the use of camelina meal in the diets of broilers up to 10 percent of the weight of the total ration.

Sustainable Oils, Inc., a producer and marketer of renewable, environmentally clean, and high-value camelina-based biodiesel, is a joint venture between Targeted Growth, Inc., a renewable energy bioscience company, and Green Earth Fuels, a vertically integrated biodiesel energy company.