December 4, 2023

10 finalists chosen in Future of Fish Feed krill replacement challenge

 

The Future of Fish Feed (F3) has unveiled the 10 companies selected to compete in its krill replacement challenge, marking the latest effort to drive innovation in the aquaculture feed ingredient sector, SeafoodSource reported.

From the 40 companies that joined the competition, F3 has identified finalists for the challenge, an annual event since 2015. This year's focus is on finding a replacement for krill in a 12-week feed trial for Atlantic salmon, known for being selective eaters. The contenders will compete based on farming metrics for the top spot, and the winning product will earn a US$100,000 prize.

The 10 finalists include: SPC LLC from the United States using spray-dried plasma; BRF Ingredients from Brazil employing a chicken hydrolysate; Calysseo from China utilising a single-cell protein; eniferBio from Finland with a fungus-based approach; Entobel from Singapore incorporating black soldier flies; Orffa Additives from the Netherlands employing an amino-acid extract; Phileo by Lesaffre from France utilizing a yeast extract; Protix from the Netherlands incorporating black soldier flies; Shaivaa Algaetech from India using algae; and Symrise from Germany with a protein hydrolysate.

Kevin Fitzsimmons, a professor of environmental science at the University of Arizona and F3 Judge, said the decision to select the finalists was not easy, but they are happy with the diversity of products and companies that are moving to the next phase of the competition.

The finalists will now undergo a feed trial, where their additives will be tested in an F3-designed, plant-based feed specifically formulated for Atlantic salmon. Additionally, five alternate companies have been chosen, including Agri-King Nutrition, Knipbio, and NovoNutrients from the US, Arbiom from France, and Lucta from Spain, in case any of the finalists' products cannot be integrated into the designated feed for the trial.

-      SeafoodSource