May 3, 2016

 

Evonik launches AQUAVI® Met-Met for aquaculture feeds in Asia-Pacific

 

 

 

Evonik presents in the Asia-Pacific region its latest product - AQUAVI® Met-Met, a dipeptide of two DL-methionine molecules which is used as an aquaculture feed additive, during a press conference in Indonesia.

 

AQUAVI® Met-Met is the first peptide specially developed for the aqua industry as it has low water solubility and therefore the leaching of the feed nutrients can be minimised.

 

This is especially important for aqua feeds as shrimp and prawns are bottom feeders with different feeding habits and digestive systems, feed pellets and extrudates must be stable in the water to ensure the dipeptide breaks down and methionine becomes available for protein synthesis at exactly the right time.

 

"With AQUAVI® Met-Met, we're extending our range of feed amino acids for animal nutrition to include another specialty with high value for our customers. This further strengthens our position as a market and technology leader," said Dr Reiner Beste, chairman of the Evonik Nutrition & Care GmbH Board of Management.

 

"We're offering a cost-efficient and sustainable solution also for shrimp and crustacean farming," Dr Emmanuel Auer, head of the Animal Nutrition Business Line at Evonik, commented "Asia Pacific, as the home of aquaculture, has the largest population in the world, with the (rising) demand for seafood, we can see the pressure on aquaculture to increase productivity in this region and this appears to us to be vitally important."

 

In 2015, no less than half of the fish, crustaceans, and shellfish consumed globally originated from aquaculture. Fishmeal, being part of the feed as a protein source, is a significant cost factor for farmers. Supplementation with amino acids allows significant reduction of the proportion of fishmeal in feeds, as Evonik has already demonstrated for fish farming.

 

In addition, Evonik contributes to improved sustainability and conservation of biodiversity.

 

However, shrimp and crustaceans have totally different feeding habits and digestive systems than, for example, fish, with AQUAVI® Met- Met, the dipeptide of DL-methionine which has extremely low water solubility. Hence, feed formulation can be preserved in water and enhanced in the gut.

 

As feeding trials in many countries have shown, AQUAVI® Met-Met is more than twice as efficient as DL- methionine. This increases the efficiency and sustainability of shrimp farming.

 

AQUAVI® Met-Met has already been registered as a feed additive in many countries, with more to follow. The new methionine source will initially be available for shrimp and crustaceans but its efficiency is currently being tested for other species.

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