Frequently asked questions
Aquaculture plays a vital role in seafood production and raises important questions about feed, ingredients, animal health, food safety and environmental performance. These FAQs explain these topics from Skretting’s perspective as an aquaculture feed and services company.
The answers describe the areas we can influence through ingredient and supplier requirements, feed formulation, quality and safety controls, research and technical support. Performance and requirements can vary by species, production system and market.
Frequent questions on feed management
Is one feed sufficient for all aquaculture species?
No. Fish and shrimp have different nutritional requirements depending on their species, life stage, health status and production conditions. Feeds are formulated for defined nutritional needs and intended uses rather than as one solution for every species or stage of production.
How much feed is needed to grow a farmed fish?
The amount of feed needed depends on the species, life stage, feed, health, farming conditions and feeding management. Feed conversion ratio, or FCR, describes the amount of feed used to produce one kilogram of weight gain. A lower FCR means that less feed is required.
Can efficient feed management help improve the sustainability of aquaculture?
Effective feed management can help producers use feed more efficiently, manage waste and support farm performance. Results depend on the species, feed, farming system, health, environment and feeding practices.
Frequent questions on animal health and welfare
Why do aquaculture species grow quickly?
Growth rates vary by species, genetics, life stage, feed, health, water quality, temperature and farm management. Some farmed fish and shrimp species grow relatively quickly because their biology is suited to the production environment and because producers manage nutrition and farming conditions for the species being raised.
Are farms healthy environments for producing fish and shrimp?
Aquaculture farms can provide healthy environments for fish and shrimp when they are designed and managed for the needs of the species.
Is low fish meal/fish oil content in feeds harmful to fish and shrimp?
No. The latest feed formulations are specifically designed to give aquaculture species all of the nutrients that they need in order to optimise their health and growth performance, and to ensure end-product quality.
Frequent questions on health and safety
Are farmed fish and shrimp healthy to eat?
Yes. Farmed fish and shrimp can be nutritious choices, providing protein, vitamins and minerals and, depending on the species, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA and DHA. Nutritional composition varies by species, feed, farming conditions and product.
Is it safe to eat farmed fish and shrimp?
Yes. Farmed fish and shrimp produced for human consumption must meet applicable food-safety and production requirements. Food safety is managed across the value chain, from feed and farming to processing, transport, retail and food preparation.
Why choose farmed fish and shrimp?
Farmed and wild seafood both contribute to global food supply. The appropriate choice depends on the species, production or fishery, origin, season, product and the environmental and social factors considered.
Frequent questions on sustainability
Why is aquaculture important?
According to WWF, 85% of the world’s marine stocks are either fully exploited or overfished. Our planet’s population is forecast to reach 10 billion people by 2050, and with this growth will come a much greater demand for food, including seafood.
Are circular economy principles applied to aquaculture feeds?
Yes. Aquaculture feeds can use suitable by-products and side streams from seafood, agriculture and other food-production systems.
Is aquaculture sustainable?
Yes, when done properly. As a global society, we are around 7.5 billion people heading towards 10 billion by 2050. Not only does this present the problem of an additional 2 billion mouths to feed, human diets are also increasingly shifting in line with growing prosperity.
Are our feeds sustainable?
Skretting works to improve the environmental and social performance of its feeds through responsible sourcing requirements, supplier assessment, feed formulation, quality and safety controls, traceability, due diligence, the use of by-products, and continued research and innovation.
How is aquaculture regulated?
Aquaculture is regulated through requirements that can cover farm approval, animal health and welfare, environmental impacts, feed, food safety, traceability and the use of veterinary medicines. The applicable rules and level of oversight vary by country, species and production system.
Frequent questions on feed ingredients
What ingredients are in our feed?
Aquaculture feeds contain essential nutrients that should be delivered in the right quantities to keep fish and shrimp growing well and healthily. These nutrients come from a variety of different sources. In addition to fish meal and fish oil, they often contain other vegetable-based meals and oils, fish trimmings and processed by-products from land animals.
Are our raw materials responsibly sourced?
We work to source raw materials responsibly by setting approval and sourcing requirements for ingredients and suppliers. Depending on the ingredient and supply chain, these requirements can cover nutrition, quality, safety, regulatory compliance, traceability, and environmental and social risks.
Are animal by-products dangerous to human health?
Animal by-products are not inherently dangerous to human health when they are legally permitted for use in aquaculture feed and meet the applicable safety, quality and processing requirements. Only eligible materials from defined categories can be used, and controls apply to their sourcing, processing and inclusion in feed.
Do salmon and trout feeds contain colouring?
Yes. Feeds for salmon and trout may contain astaxanthin, a carotenoid that contributes to the characteristic red or pink colour of salmonid flesh. Astaxanthin occurs naturally in the aquatic food chain and also has biological functions in salmonids.
Do feeds contain growth hormones or antibiotics?
Skretting feeds do not contain growth-promoting hormones. Antibiotics are not used as routine feed ingredients or to promote growth.
Do feeds contain chemicals or preservatives?
Feeds may contain authorised additives, including preservatives, when they serve a defined purpose such as maintaining product quality or stability. These substances must comply with applicable feed legislation and the permitted conditions and maximum levels for their use.
What is ethoxyquin and is it safe?
Ethoxyquin is an antioxidant that protects and maintains the quality of the omega-3 fatty acids in fish meal, particularly during transport and storage.
What are fish meal and fish oil, and why are they used in aquaculture feeds?
Fish meal is a powder obtained after cooking, pressing, drying and milling fresh raw fish, while fish oil is a liquid pressed from the cooked fish. Both are produced from harvesting short-lived, fast-growing stocks of small, bony and oily fish for which there is little or no demand for human consumption.
How much wild fish is needed to feed farmed fish?
Skretting now has the knowledge and R&D to produce Atlantic salmon feeds requiring zero fish meal, and zero fish oil. We invest in R&D that provides full flexibility.
Do we use novel ingredients in our feeds?
Yes. Skretting is in full support of the development of novel ingredients and we have been using some of these in our diets with the support of those customers.
Frequent questions on PhytoComplexes
What are PhytoComplexes?
PhytoComplexes are unique combinations of bioactive compounds naturally expressed by a specific plant’s full genetic profile. Instead of isolating a single compound, PhytoComplexes use the entire plant or plant parts, preserving the natural synergy that makes these compounds more effective.
How are PhytoComplexes different from traditional plant extracts?
Traditional plant extracts typically focus on one isolated compound. PhytoComplexes use the whole plant’s full spectrum of bioactive components, which results in greater bioefficacy and more robust, consistent results in animal health and resilience.
How are plants selected for use in PhytoComplexes?
Plant selection is highly targeted. Nutreco Exploration screens thousands of plants within the same species to identify the exact genotype best suited to address a specific health or performance challenge in aquaculture.
Are these plant-based solutions already used in Skretting feeds?
Yes. Skretting has incorporated plant-derived solutions in functional diets for many years, and the use of next‑generation PhytoComplexes is now redefining how functional feeds are formulated for different species and production challenges.