Danish startup turns fish skin into crispy snack chips

A 27-year-old entrepreneur in Hanstholm has launched a business transforming discarded fish skin into crispy chips, selling them for 35 kroner per bag, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

Rasmus Salomonsen, founder of Ocean Chips, sources fish skins from a local seafood wholesaler—skins that were previously used primarily for mink feed or discarded after Denmark’s 2020 mink farm shutdown. After testing over 20 varieties, he selected skins from redfish, salmon, cod, plaice, and monkfish for their texture and flavor.

The skins are cleaned or frozen to eliminate bacteria before being deep-fried in refined sunflower oil for two to three minutes. Once cooled and drained, they are cut into pieces, seasoned with flavors like barbecue, chili, or sea salt, and hand-packaged. Salomonsen describes the taste as closer to pork rinds than fish.

Production currently yields 400 bags per day, but capacity will expand to 2,000 bags once industrial equipment is installed. The chips have already reached local supermarkets in Thy, specialty shops, and restaurants, with international inquiries beginning to arrive.

Trend researcher Anne Sofie Lahme called the venture “highly commendable” for repurposing waste but questioned whether Danish consumers would embrace fish-skin chips as a casual snack. “It’s not about reluctance to try them,” she told DR. “It may fit better in a meal context than as a sofa snack.”

Salomonsen, a former sales trainee in Hanstholm’s fishing industry, began experimenting with fish skins as they accumulated post-mink ban. What started as a side project has grown into a full-time operation, with long days fueled by strong market interest.