The North American Renderers Association (NARA) is pleased to announce, on behalf of the association’s sister research foundation, the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF), that the 2025 Dr. Fred D. Bisplinghoff Research Innovation Award has been presented to Dominique P. Bureau, Ph.D., for his continued support of FPRF and the foundation’s programs.
Dr. Bureau is a Professor in the Department of Animal Bioscience at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, and serves as Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) at Wittaya Aqua International. With more than 35 years of research experience in academia and industry, Dr. Bureau’s work focuses on amino acid and phosphorus utilization, feed ingredient evaluation, the effects of thermal damage to proteins, and the mathematical modeling of growth and feed requirements across animal species.
His research on the nutritive value of rendered animal products began in 1994 with the support of Canadian renderers and the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation. Over the years, Dr. Bureau has collaborated closely with feed manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, and aquaculture operations around the world, conducting numerous FPRF-supported research projects that have advanced understanding of rendered ingredients in aquafeeds. He served as a member of the U.S. National Research Council Committee on Nutrient Requirements of Fish and Shrimp (2009–2011) and has led the development of the **International Aquaculture Feed Formulation Database (www.iaffd.com)**—a free online resource providing detailed data on the composition of more than 700 feed ingredients and nutritional specifications for over 40 aquatic species. His team is also developing a similar database for terrestrial livestock species.
In addition to his academic work, Dr. Bureau co-founded Wittaya Aqua International www.wittaya-aqua.ca, an innovative company that creates advanced online tools and provides support and solutions to feed manufacturers, feed ingredient suppliers, and aquaculture operations globally. His pioneering research and
leadership have greatly contributed to advancing the understanding and utilization of rendered products in animal nutrition, making him a deserving recipient of this prestigious honor.
“Dr. Fred Bisplinghoff was directly responsible for introducing me to terrestrial animal protein ingredients three
decades ago and for my interest in doing research on them. Despite our very significant age difference, Dr. Fred
and I became very good friends, and I enjoyed meeting him and learning from him. To receive an award in his
name is, therefore, very meaningful for me,”
Dr. Bureau said of being chosen for the award.
“The rendering industry supported me as a young scientist and gave me the chance to travel the world to share my research
results with aquaculture feed manufacturers. I am grateful to the FPRF and NARA, their members and personnel for their early and sustained support. I am happy that the research efforts I led were valuable for the industry. I am not done doing research and transferring knowledge to industry. I have numerous ideas that I hope to explore in the future, notably in collaboration with my colleagues at Wittaya.”
The award was presented to Dr. Bureau by Dr. Charles Starkey, NARA’s Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs and FPRF’s Director of Research, during NARA’s recent 2025 Convention.
