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.
Approved raw materials and suppliers remain subject to monitoring. Traceability, audits and certification support assessment and verification within a defined scope, but no single measure removes every upstream risk. Our responsible sourcing policies explain the requirements for key ingredient categories, and our latest Impact Report describes our actions and progress.
For marine ingredients, our requirements consider available information on species, fishery and origin, the use of whole fish and seafood-processing by-products, traceability, certification and fishery improvement programmes. Requirements and available evidence vary between fisheries, regions and suppliers.
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.