The strong fluctuations of feed ingredient prices in combination with low market prices for aquaculture products challenge the profitability of many aquaculture operations around the globe. This has accelerated a search for alternative formulations to improve the cost efficiency of feeding under various scenarios of ingredient cost and availability. The present paper illustrates a number of new strategies in feed formulation to reduce the cost of feeding fish and shrimp.

1. May | June 2010
Feature title: Innovative approaches to reduce feed cost in aquaculture:
Optimizing nutrient utilization and gut health
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The International magazine for the aquaculture feed industry

2. F: Feed cost F: Feed cost
Innovative approaches to reduce Figure 1: Compounds with potential for
improving digestibility and feed utilization in
feed cost in aquaculture fish (IN=intestine • PA=pancreas • LI=liver •
BB=bile bladder •ST=stomach • E=esophagus •
PC=pyloric caeca)
Optimizing nutrient utilization and gut health
in aquaculture of nutritional and/or func- percent reduction of feed cost per kg of 10-15 percent fish oil. Animal by-products,
tional feed additives developed for livestock whole fish produced and 16.4 percent including specific qualities of poultry by-
by Peter Coutteau, Sam Ceulemans and Alexander van Halteren, NutriAd International, Belgium
is often not trivial. The present article shortening of the production cycle) as products and blood meals, offer interesting
illustrates the potential to reducing cost of well as for the fish processor (up to 9.25 alternatives in terms of nutritional profile
feeding in aquaculture by either improving percent improvement in fillet yield) (van and digestibility but are not always an
The strong fluctuations of feed ingredient prices in combination with low market prices for aquaculture the efficiency of nutrient utilization or by Halteren et al., 2009). alternative to fish meal due to market
products challenge the profitability of many aquaculture operations around the globe. This has accel- optimizing gut health. Traditional feed formulations for marine conditions (eg high demand by the pet-
erated a search for alternative formulations to improve the cost efficiency of feeding under various fish are high in marine ingredients, contain- feed industry) and/or legal and consumer
scenarios of ingredient cost and availability. The present paper illustrates a number of new strategies in Digestibility enhancement ing 40-50 percent good quality fish meal and concerns. Increased replacement of fish
feed formulation to reduce the cost of feeding fish and shrimp. and improving
nutrient utilization
A
A wide variety of concepts and prod-
quaculture is world’s over the past years. Despite the increased system of fish and shrimp. As ingredient ucts are being investigated for improving
fastest-growing sector in efforts to reduce the use of ingredients of prices are rising, nutritionists may find digestion and feed utilization in pigs and
-7%
food production reaching marine origin, fishmeal remains a major or new options for cost reduction in the poultry. Potential products for application
+7.6%
+6.5%
an average growth rate at least significant cost in many aquafeed formulation by maximizing the efficiency in fish include botanical extracts and phy-
since 1970 of almost 9 percent (versus formulations. As a result, the recent fluctua- of digestive and metabolic processes which tobotanical compounds, short and medium
2.8 percent for land-based animal pro- tions of fishmeal prices are troublesome for are at the basis of converting nutrients chain fatty acids, organic acids, enzymes, and
duction). Global feed production for feed manufacturers and farmers, which are into growth. In agriculture, various types of natural emulsifiers (Figure 1). Digestibility
farming fish and shrimp has followed already under economic pressure due to feed additives are being applied to enhance enhancing additives have the potential to
this expansion and is expected to the low price of the end product. the digestibility and/or utilization efficiency improve nutrient utilization from cheap
reach 32 million tonnes by 2012 Optimizing formulation cost for fish of nutrients, including exogenous enzymes ingredients and stimulate the conversion
(Tacon and Metian, 2008). and shrimp requires completing the gaps and various types of digestibility enhanc- of nutrients into meat gain and less into fat
in the current knowledge of nutritional ers allowing to extract more nutrients accumulation in muscle and viscera. Effects Figure 2: Data from an 84-days culture trial with European seabass using
The fast growth of production volumes requirements (e.g. nutrient availability and out of ingredients, flavours and palatability on growth, feed conversion and protein triplicate tanks of 600l per diet. Fish were grown at 20-22°C in a seawater
has resulted for many aquaculture species interactions, the role of natural feed sup- enhancers to stimulate appetite, and a wide efficiency were illustrated for Tilapia in an recirculation unit from 224g to ± 318g. The control diet consisted of a
practical coated-extruded grow out (crude protein 45 percent; crude fat
in a continuous erosion of the sales price plements in semi-intensive farming sys- range of products (pre/probiotics, botani- earlier contribution (Coutteau et al. 2009 20 percent), containing 19.6 percent Peruvian fishmeal (67 percent CP);
at the farm gate and the profitability of the tems, nutritional requirements in function cal extracts, yeast derived compounds) to in International Aquafeed, nov-dec 2009). 17 percent fish oil, 5.9 percent wheat gluten, 6 percent corn gluten, 5
farm operations. In addition, all major aqua- of growth stages and culture conditions). maintain a healthy gut. The feeding biology, Furthermore, the potential impact on farm percent pea protein concentrate, 32 percent defatted soybean meal, 8.5
feed ingredients -including fishmeal, fish oil, So far, apart from optimizing nutritional digestive physiology and nutritional require- economics of improved nutrient utilization percent wheat flour, 4 percent extracted rapeseed meal, 1.15 percent
vegetable proteins and fats, wheat flour, feed inputs and ingredient selection, aquaculture ments of warm-blooded land animals dif- was documented in the field for Pangasius monocalcium phosphate, methionine 0.1 percent, lysine 0.2 percent,
premix 0.55 percent (vitamins, minerals, antioxidant, antimould)
phosphates, additives, vitamins and miner- nutritionists have spent little attention to fer significantly from those of aquaculture in Vietnam where economic gains were (Ceulemans et al., 2010)
als- have shown significant price fluctuations the optimal functioning of the digestive organisms. Therefore, the direct application observed both for the farmer (up to 2.4
32 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | May-June 2010 May-June 2010 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | 33

3. F: Feed cost F: Feed cost
ing fish meal by vegetable proteins is the Growth system.This increases the risk for the prolif-
depressing action of vegetable ingredients promotion eration of an unfavourable gut microflora or
on lipid digestion, absorption and depo- based on frequent destabilization of the microflora,
sition. Therefore, digestibility enhancers optimized which can affect the optimal functioning
with emphasis on improving lipid digestion gut health of the digestive system. Furthermore, the
have a great potential to support growth and digestive system of fish and shrimp is the
of carnivorous fish fed feeds contain- Rising feed Escalating intestinal Environmental for Low Shrimpviral
Opportunistic
main entry port bacterial and
ing reduced levels of fishmeal and higher
cost microflora infections, which remain a major risk for
fish meal price diseases impact & fish prices
levels of vegetable ingredients. European The ban on the profitability of aquaculture production.
seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), a marine the use of anti- Sustainable approaches to modulate the
carnivorous fish, fed a diet containing 19.6%
Rising feed Escalating Opportunistic growthEnvironmentalin farmedLow Shrimp the
gut microflora animals include
biotic
Peruvian fishmeal, showed improved growth
cost fish meal price diseases
promoters in use of selected bacteria fish prices the
impact & to inoculate
(with 6.5%), feed conversion ratio (with poultry and pigs, gut (probiotics), specific nutrients promot-
Tired of hearing only bad news ?
and the subse- ing the development of selected bacte-
quent search rial strains (prebiotics), and specific natural
Figure 3: Percentage improvement for alternatives, compounds (mostly derived from yeast
Tired of hearing only bad news ?
of growth and feed conversion ratio Feed is the main cost in most aquaculture operations … extracts, so called “phytobiot-
has revealed the and herbal
(FCR) for different aquaculture species importance of ics”) capable of modulating the microflora
due to supplementing a phytobiotic and the most difficult one to reduce when ingredient prices are rising …
meal/fish oil by vegetable protein sources Figure 4: Production results with white shrimp gut health and the towards a favorable composition, favoring
growth promoter based on microflora (Litopenaeus vannamei) in a semi-intensive farm
derived from soybean, wheat, rice and corn modulation (SANACORE® GM). Data development of a the development of beneficial bacteria and
Feed is the main cost in most aquaculture operations …
in Panama for control ponds and treatment ponds
offers possibilities to stabilize formulation show relative effect on growth (for fish: receiving phytobiotic supplement difficult one to reduce when ingredient prices are rising … pathogenic micro-
stable, favorable inhibiting potentially
cost in marine fish feeds. However, many SGR, %/day; for shrimp g/week) and feed and the most (Sanacore® GM) (see gut microflora, organisms. The latter strategies have the
Table 1; Vaca et al. 2010).
nutritionists are hesitant to use high levels conversion ratio (FCR) relative on feed efficiency, advantage of being easily applicable at the
to the performance of the
of vegetable protein in marine fish feed due overall perform- feedmill on large volumes of feed and
non-supplemented control
to the fear for slower growth and poorer group in a feeding trial with rently Performance require Preservation and productivity. Fish & shrimp are Feed & Food adaptations of the produc-
underutilized and functional ance Health and avoiding major Sensory
feed conversion compared to traditional healthy animals. Feeding trials additives to maximize their utilization by
Enhancement highly exposed to exchanges of microflora
& Stabilisation Well-being tion protocols at the farm. A synergistic
Safety Improvement
feeds containing high levels of fish meal. were run in triplicate tanks the fish’s digestive and metabolic processes. between the environment and the digestive blend of phytobiotics was selected for
Carnivorous fish – like any other animal – for Gilthead seabream Sparus
aurata (trial duration 56 days; Performance Preservation Health & Feed & Food Sensory
require a balanced diet which is satisfying
starting from 70g); Nile tilapia Enhancement & Stabilisation Well-being Safety Improvement
Nutriad has developed innovative feed additives
nutritional requirements and of acceptable Oreochromus niloticus (70
palatability/digestibility to promote inges- days; starting from 17g); and
specifically to reduce the feed cost in fish and
tion/digestion. Formulating marine fish feed white shrimp Litopenaeus
with less marine ingredients requires good vannamei (56 days starting
knowledge of nutritional requirements and
from 1g) (Ceulemans et al.,
2010). Nutriad has developed innovative feed additives
shrimp production
functional/nutritional additives which are
capable of solving some of the typical prob- specifically to reduce the feed cost in fish and
lems encountered in carnivorous fish fed
high levels of plant protein, such as reduced
maximize protein sparing effects. It has
now been documented for a number of
7%) and protein efficiency ratio (PER, with
7.6%) due to the supplementation of a
AQUAGEST
shrimp production Opportunistic
®
Rising feed Escalating Environmental Low Shrimp
palatability and digestibility, anti-nutritional carnivorous fish species (including salmon, digestibility enhancer (Fig. 2). This clearly Maximizes digestibility and feed utilization efficiency
cost fish meal price diseases impact & fish prices
factors and amino acid misbalances. Kroghdal et al. 2003; trout, Romarhein et demonstrates that the nutrients present in
Dietary fat is an important source of al., 2008; Gilthead seabream, Gomez et al., feeds containing low levels of fish meal and AQUAGEST
AQUABITE®
®
energy for marine fish and is crucial to 2004), that one of the challenges for replac- high levels of vegetable proteins are cur- Maximizes digestibility and feed utilization efficiency
Enhances palatability and appetite
Table 1: Production results with white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) in a semi-intensive farm in Panama for control ponds and treatment AQUABITE®® GM
SANACORE
Tired of hearing only bad news ?
ponds receiving phytobiotic supplement (Sanacore® GM) (average and standard deviation of 8 replicate ponds of 3ha each per treatment,
initial stocking density at 8/m2, 141 days of culture; Vaca et al., 2010). Enhances palatability and appetite
Improves growth and productivity by promoting a healthy gut microflora
Average
Treatment Survival (%)
Shrimp
Crop
Yield
Feed
FCR
Weekly
Growth
coefficient of
variation for
SANACORE® Feed is the main cost in most aquaculture operations …
GM
size (g) (kg/pond 3ha) Improves and the mostproductivity to reduce whenaingredient prices are rising …
growth and difficult one by promoting healthy gut microflora
(kg/ha) (g/wk) parameters
listed (CV%)
applying nature for a healthy and sustainable future
Sanacore® 4,170 ± 338 1.91 ± 0.23
55.5 ± 7.1 a 16.6 ± 1.5 a 735 ± 78 a 0.825 ± 0.075 a 10%
GM a a
applying nature for a healthy and sustainable future
3,464 ± 396 2.17 ± 0.39
Control 44.6 ± 10.6 b 15.7± 2.9 a 543 ± 90 b
b a
0.776 ± 0.137 a 18% info.aqua@nutriad.net
Performance Preservation Health & Feed & Food Sensory
% change www.nutriad.net Stabilisation
Enhancement & Well-being Safety Improvement
Sanacore +24.4% +5.8% +35.2% +20.4% -12.1% +6.3% -41%
vs Control info.aqua@nutriad.net
P Value 0.0304 0.4395 0.0004 0.0018 0.7130 0.3876 --- www.nutriad.net
34 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | May-June 2010
Nutriad has developed innovative feed additives
May-June 2010 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | 35
specifically to reduce the feed cost in fish and

4. F: Feed cost
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The drastic effects of the phytobiotic
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of white spot virus (WSSV). During the trial, results among ponds fed the same feed Email: p.coutteau@nutriad.net You want to know more about our event?
two treatments were compared which only (average coefficient of variation between Tel.: +1 314 739 9191 • Fax: +1 314 739 5880 • Email: sales@tapcoinc.com • www.tapcoinc.com
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The color blue, when used in connection with elevator buckets, is a U.S. registered trademark owned by Tapco Inc. © 2010 Tapco Inc.® All rights reserved.
36 | InternatIonal AquAFeed | May-June 2010

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