What ingredients are in our feed?
Aquaculture feeds provide nutrients such as protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. These nutrients can come from marine, vegetable, animal and other approved sources. The ingredients used vary by species, life stage, product, market, regulatory requirements and availability.
Feed formulations are developed to meet defined nutritional and product specifications. Formulators consider the nutrients provided by each ingredient, as well as its quality, safety, digestibility, physical properties and suitability for the intended feed.
Ingredient sources
Depending on the product and market, aquaculture feeds may include:
- agricultural ingredients such as wheat, maize, soybean, rapeseed, sunflower, lupin and faba bean products;
- marine ingredients such as fishmeal, fish oil and crustacean meal;
- by-products from seafood processing;
- eligible processed animal proteins and fats;
- novel ingredients such as algal oils, insect ingredients, single-cell proteins or fungi-based ingredients; and
- micro-ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids and pigments.
Not every feed contains ingredients from every category. Ingredient availability, regulatory approval and product requirements differ between markets.
Marine ingredients
Fishmeal and fish oil provide protein, essential fatty acids, minerals and other nutrients used in some aquaculture feeds. They may be produced from whole fish or from by-products generated when seafood is processed for human consumption.
The proportion and source of marine ingredients vary between feeds, species and life stages. Our marine-ingredient requirements consider available information on species, fishery and origin, the use of whole fish and by-products, traceability, certification and fishery improvement programmes.
By-products and circular ingredients
Suitable by-products and side streams from seafood, agriculture and other food-production systems can provide useful nutrients and broaden the range of raw materials available for feed. Before use, these ingredients must meet applicable nutritional, quality, safety, regulatory and availability requirements.
Using a by-product does not by itself demonstrate a lower environmental footprint. Performance depends on factors including processing, allocation, transport, geography and the lifecycle methodology applied.
MicroBalance®: expanding formulation options
MicroBalance® is a formulation approach developed through Skretting’s research into micronutrients and how they support fish and shrimp nutrition. This knowledge helps formulators use a broader range of suitable raw materials while meeting the nutritional requirements of the species and life stage.
The ingredients used and the achievable inclusion levels vary by species, product, market and available raw materials. The complete formulation must continue to provide the nutrients required for its intended use.