Let´s improve aquaculture feed protection!
Aquaculture is a rapidly developing sector in recent years. For humans, one of the most important sources of protein is fish and other products from aquaculture such as crustaceans and mollusks.
Oxidation of aquaculture feed irreversibly alters its quality, causing a reduction in nutritional value and loss of pigment where applicable. Oxidation is one of the main quality issues facing aquaculture that is why feed antioxidant protection in aquaculture is a critical aspect of ensuring the health and performance of aquatic organisms. Antioxidants are used to prevent oxidation problems in the feed. The primary purpose of using antioxidants in feed is to prolong the shelf life of the feed, maintain its nutritional value, and prevent the development of rancidity which can occur due to the oxidative degradation of lipids (fats and oils), keeping feed stable. Fish fed with oxidized feed experience many negative effects such as growth retardation, low feed utilization, weak immune system and reduced resistance to diseases.
As a result, it can lead to significant economic detriment and fish mortality.
Prevention of diseases is more important than treatment. Especially when it comes to diseases caused by feed. Decomposed, poorly stored, nutritionally deficient feed can cause disease. Oxidized feed adversely affect the resistance of fish against diseases, at the same time they damage both growth, development and fillet quality. It has been shown that the use of oxidized oils in the feed increases the plasma glucose, cortisol and osmolarity levels of the fish, therefore the stress factor develops negatively.
During the production, transportation and storage of feed, oxidation can be a major process that can reduce its quality. Oxidation can take place through various mechanisms, including autoxidation, photosensitized oxidation, thermal oxidation, and enzymatic oxidation. In order to prevent these problems in fish caused by feed, additives with antioxidant properties are added to fish feed. These additives used both prevent the oxidation of the feed and ultimately help protect the health of the fish.
MIAVIT supports aquaculture feed producers with stable high quality ethoxyquin FREE product range of antioxidants solutions in order to avoid oxidation problems. It's important to note that the use of antioxidants in aquaculture should be carefully managed to ensure they are used in the right quantities and do not negatively impact the aquatic environment or the quality of the products.
In addition, the source and form of antioxidants used can vary depending on the specific species and production systems in aquaculture, that is why MIAVIT technical support and application consultancy are guaranteed.
It's crucial for aquaculture practitioners to work with nutritionists and experts who can formulate appropriate diets with the correct antioxidant levels. Proper nutrition, water quality management and disease prevention are all part of a holistic approach ensuring the well-being and performance of aquatic organisms in aquaculture and antioxidants are one aspect more of that.
Do not hesitate to contact your MIAVIT staff to know more about antioxidants.