Scottish biotech firm MiAlgae has announced a new partnership with fresh dog food provider Butternut Box to introduce a fish-free Omega-3 ingredient into pet food for the first time.
MiAlgae® is a natural microalgae produced using upcycled by-products from the Scottish whisky industry, delivering the same essential nutrients found in wild fish while remaining entirely plant-based. One tonne of MiAlgae® provides the equivalent Omega-3 content of 30 tonnes of wild-caught fish.
Butternut Box, founded to improve the health and wellbeing of dogs through fresh food, uses whole ingredients that are cooked rather than processed and served chilled. Through this collaboration, the company has incorporated a sustainable, fish-free source of Omega-3 into its recipes. The ingredient provides essential fatty acids (DHA) to support skin, coat and cognitive health in dogs. Environmentally, the shift is also significant, as choosing the ‘Ready Steady Veggie’ meal with MiAlgae’s DHA instead of a beef-based option can substantially reduce a dog’s carbon and land footprint.
MiAlgae® will be included in Butternut Box’s Ready Steady Veggie meals from this month across all its European markets, with continued supply coming from MiAlgae’s new production facility in Scotland.
The partnership marks an important step in MiAlgae’s commercial growth strategy, supporting increased production capacity and collaboration with forward-thinking pet food brands focused on quality, sustainability and innovation.
Douglas Martin said the partnership reflects a shared commitment to ingredient quality, pet health and sustainability, adding that integrating fish-free Omega-3 into fresh meals helps set a new benchmark for pet nutrition while protecting marine resources.
David Nolan added that the collaboration supports the company’s mission to provide fresh, high-quality meals for dogs, demonstrating that strong nutrition can be achieved alongside environmental responsibility, while advancing its broader sustainability goals.
