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Skretting makes fishmeal-free feed breakthrough

by Aquafeed.com Staff
03/24/2016

Fishmeal availability will not limit future growth for the salmon industry, says Skretting, as it makes a breakthrough in fishmeal-free feed.

Skretting is the first to market with salmon feeds that can be formulated completely free of fishmeal, while delivering equal performance in terms of fish growth and health.

These breakthrough products, called MicroBalance FLX, have been made possible through progressive and extensive research, and are backed up by detailed evidence from Skretting Aquaculture Research Centre (ARC).

The development means that Skretting can be increasingly flexible with raw material inclusions, enabling the available responsibly sourced fishmeal resource to go much further than in the past, and thereby increasing the sustainability credentials of salmon production globally.

“Feeding the future is Nutreco’s mission, and this breakthrough in raw material flexibility gives us the ability to provide a significant contribution to feeding the global population that is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050,” said José Villalon, Corporate Sustainability Director for Nutreco, Skretting’s parent company.

“Through our research, we have detailed evidence proving that salmonids can be fed with feeds that are devoid of fishmeal. This is important knowledge that we will use to give us even more flexibility in the composition of our commercial feeds,” said Dr Leo Nankervis, Team Leader Salmonid Nutrition at Skretting ARC.

“There is a finite amount of fishmeal available in the market. Therefore, in order for aquaculture to expand to offer a genuinely viable solution to the challenge of feeding a fast growing global population, it is essential that the fishmeal resource is used in the most efficient ways possible. Fishmeal availability will not limit the further expansion of the salmon farming industry.”

Although Skretting now has the knowledge and capability to produce fishmeal-free feeds, it does not mean that fishmeal will be eliminated from the products.

“Fishmeal is a natural and well-balanced source of high-quality protein,” said Trygve Berg Lea, Sustainability Manager Skretting. “As an ingredient in aquaculture feed, fishmeal carries large quantities of energy per unit weight and is an excellent source of protein, lipids (oils), minerals and vitamins.”

The processing of seafood for human consumption generates by-products that can be converted and utilised as valuable products for aquaculture. The utilisation of by-products is essential because it eliminates waste by increasing efficiency through value addition.

“Skretting will continue to use fishmeal in our products if it benefits the nutritional composition of the feed, is economic, and the source of fishmeal is responsibly managed fisheries or the valuable use of by-products from seafood processing,” added Berg Lea.