HealthTech Bio Actives (HTBA) launched Sugarex® AQUA, an innovative feed intake enhancer for fish during Aquaculture Europe. The product, a proprietary formulation based on Neohesperidin Dihydrochalcone (NHDC) with enhanced solubility and sensory properties, is designed to improve feed palatability, stimulate intake, and enhance growth performance in farmed fish species.

HTBA’s scientific contribution, presented in collaboration with AquaBioTech Group, was the oral communication Use of Sugarex® AQUA to mitigate negative impacts of low-palatability and medicated feeds in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

The study garnered substantial interest among attendees due to its demonstration that Sugarex ® AQUA can boost feed intake under low-palatability and medicated diet conditions; improve growth performance, with up to 34% higher specific growth rates compared to unsupplemented diets; enhance feed efficiency, with feed conversion ratios reduced by up to 11.7%; and maintain feeding behavior and survival rates, even under dietary stress.

“These findings highlight Sugarex® AQUA’s role as a practical, science-driven solution for sustainable aquaculture, particularly valuable when feed formulations change or when medicated diets are required,” the company said during the event.

Mar Serra, Animal Nutrition Solutions Division Manager at HTBA, stated: “We are satisfied by the interest that Sugarex® AQUA has generated here in Valencia. The feedback from researchers, feed producers, and farmers confirms that our solution addresses the needs in the sector, improving fish performance while supporting sustainability and animal welfare.”