Tag fish oil

The Future of Fish Feed (F3) initiative aims to jumpstart innovation in terms of viable fish-free substitutes to fish oil through the global F3 Fish Oil Challenge. 

The benefits of omega-3 fatty acids to human health are well known. Fish need them too. To supplement current supplies from wild-caught fish, one innovative venture is turning to the corn fields of Nebraska – yes, Nebraska – for answers.  

This study shows that soybean oil can totally replace fish oil in California yellowtail aquafeeds without affecting production performance and reducing the omega-3 fatty acid profile of fish tissues, as long as acceptable levels of ARA and DHA are provided. 

To position aquaculture for future growth, it needs tools to evaluate a growing spectrum of alternative ingredients and formulated diets designed to optimize fish health and efficient production. 

Formed in 2015, following Cargill’s acquisition of salmon feed specialist EWOS to complement its own warm-water aquaculture feed business, Cargill Aqua Nutrition produces feed for salmon, tilapia and shrimp in 20 countries around the world. 

The latest Fish In:Fish Out (FIFO) ratios calculated by IFFO – The Marine Ingredients Organisation shows that every kilogram of wild fish utilized in aquafeeds results in a total of 4.55 kilos of farmed fish produced. 

A key to expanding aquaculture is finding alternative sources of proteins and oils. Supplementing or replacing fish oil in aquaculture feeds with alternative lipid sources – oils seeds, microalgae, insects and others – appears possible as long as essential fatty acid (EFA) requirements are satisfied. 

Fishmeal is still the most nutritious source of protein for aquaculture diets, having a wide range of essential amino acids and a high digestibility, while fish oil is still the only commercially available source of long chain omega-3 for aquaculture diets – both are the foundation of aquafeeds. 

Building off the success and excitement of the fish-free aquaculture feed cash-prize contest that concludes this fall, the F3 Challenge has set its sights on a new target: fish oil alternatives. 

The SeaWeb Seafood Summit, held June 5-7 in Seattle, Wash., convenes seafood industry executives, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and ocean advocates from all over the world. 

The results of this study provide the first comprehensive evidence of the significant impact of dietary oils with different fatty acid class profile on the in vivo fatty acid metabolism of tilapia. 

Aquafeed manufacturers and alternative feed ingredient suppliers from all over the world gathered in Silicon Valley for F3, the Fish Free Feed contest. In the hub of innovation, solutions to a global problem were on full display. 

Giovanni Turchini, associate professor at Deakin University (Australia) spoke at the GOAL 2016 conference in Guangzhou, China, and gave a comprehensive historical look at global fishmeal usage. 

The availability of a cost-effective grow-out feed formulation is an ongoing bottleneck for the expansion of cobia production. Studies by the authors show that the development of an aquafeed with limited or no fish oil content is possible. 

A study assessed the growth performance and fillet fatty acid composition of juvenile hybrid striped bass that were fed various diets containing different levels of fish oil, soybean oil, and blends of both. Results suggest that alternative lipid composition influences the degree of tissue fatty acid profile distortion.