Cargill lands fish feed maker Ewos to capitalise on growing demand for salmon

Cargill has satisfied its appetite for salmon by snapping up Norwegian fish feed maker Ewos as the US agribusiness aims to cater for increasingly health-conscious consumers.

The deal with Ewos’s private-equity owners Altor and Bain Capital, worth €1.35 billion (£958 million), is the second move Cargill has made into the aquaculture industry in as many months.

It comes amid growing demand for salmon, as many turn to the leaping fish — lauded for its high protein, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D content — in pursuit of a healthier diet.

Ewos has been perfecting recipes for 80 years and boasts a presence in all four of the major salmon farming regions: Norway, Chile, Canada and Scotland.

It also operates in Vietnam, producing food for tropical species.

Altor and Bain bought the company for around £690 million in 2013.

Cargill last month announced a $30 million (£19 million) investment in an Ecuadorian shrimp feed facility.

The company said farmed fish has surpassed global beef production “for the first time in modern history”.