Melody
Feb 3rd 2008, 01:13 PM
Nice to see the World cracking down on fish food, although its focus is more on farmed fish feeds. Organic fish food could be a very big thing with hobbyists from what I've seen though, and I think its only a matter of time before we see it. I know I'd be a fan if I could find one that was nutritionally complete and not over-processed and I'd happily pay more for it too. At least it would be one group of fish foods that is heavily regulated as opposed to what we have now, which is largely not regulated. The claims based on nothing or at best, misleading information, are rampant.
They're not going easy on manufacturers either. Even the antioxidants have to be the real deal and not synthetic and that means no nasty preservatives like Ethoxyquin.
According to the Handbook of Salmon Farming, organic focus is typically on:
Sustainability of raw materials
GM (genetically modified) ingredients
Synthetic ingredients (including synthetic pigments)
Antioxidants
Medication
ORGANIC FISH FEEDS
Aquafeed Feedstuffs - December 31/07
(Used with permission)
Organic fish feeds U.K.-based organic certification body The Soil Assn. has met its target of eliminating the use of synthetic antioxidants in its certified organic fish feeds. Only natural antioxidants are now permitted in these feeds and their ingredients.
This is the first time such a requirement has been placed on any sector of the fish farming industry. Four months have now passed since the deadline set by The Soil Assn. in July, and all those involved in the production of Soil Assn. certified organic fish feeds and their ingredients have successfully switched to natural products.
Organic foods and animal feeds aim to avoid all synthetic ingredients, but while the terrestrial organic feed industry has already replaced synthetic antioxidants with natural alternatives, it has been more of a challenge to protect the unique, highly unsaturated fats found in fish meal and fish oil from spoilage by oxidation. The more unsaturated an oil is, the more prone it is to spoilage (rancidity) by oxidation.
The exceptional nutritional value of oily fish and their oils is mostly due to the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, both of which are highly unsaturated.
The aquaculture industry has, therefore, relied on synthetic antioxidants (particularly ethoxyquin), but effective natural alternatives are now available. After establishing the availability of potential natural products, The Soil Assn. set a deadline of July 1 after which all antioxidants used in organic fish feeds and their raw materials must be of natural origin.
By working with fish meal and oil manufacturers, feed mills and various companies developing natural antioxidant products, the necessary testing and development has taken place, and The Soil Assn. has met its target.
Natural antioxidants typically use extracts of plants, seeds and nuts and have active ingredients that include various forms of vitamin E tocopherols, vitamin C, gallates (from gallnuts) and diterpenes (from rosemary).
Peter Bridson, Soil Assn. aquaculture program manager, said, “It has been very satisfying to bring all the links of the supply chain together to work on this project. It has required a lot of testing. We agreed on the deadline with the stakeholders last year, and everyone has worked together to achieve it.
By using fish meal and oil made from the recycled filleting wastes of fish already caught for human consumption, we already have the most sustainable feeds in the industry, and it is great to know that we can also protect their unique omega-3 fatty acids with natural antioxidants,” he added. Aquafeed plant CP Vietnam Livestock Co. Ltd. has received an investment license from the southern province of Ben Tre to open a $68.5 million plant to produce feed for fish and shrimp. The project, the biggest yet of its kind in the province, will cover an area of 12 hectares at the An Hiep Industrial Complex in Chau Thanh District. When completed in August 2008, the plant will operate with a total capacity of 384,000 mt per year.
They're not going easy on manufacturers either. Even the antioxidants have to be the real deal and not synthetic and that means no nasty preservatives like Ethoxyquin.
According to the Handbook of Salmon Farming, organic focus is typically on:
Sustainability of raw materials
GM (genetically modified) ingredients
Synthetic ingredients (including synthetic pigments)
Antioxidants
Medication
ORGANIC FISH FEEDS
Aquafeed Feedstuffs - December 31/07
(Used with permission)
Organic fish feeds U.K.-based organic certification body The Soil Assn. has met its target of eliminating the use of synthetic antioxidants in its certified organic fish feeds. Only natural antioxidants are now permitted in these feeds and their ingredients.
This is the first time such a requirement has been placed on any sector of the fish farming industry. Four months have now passed since the deadline set by The Soil Assn. in July, and all those involved in the production of Soil Assn. certified organic fish feeds and their ingredients have successfully switched to natural products.
Organic foods and animal feeds aim to avoid all synthetic ingredients, but while the terrestrial organic feed industry has already replaced synthetic antioxidants with natural alternatives, it has been more of a challenge to protect the unique, highly unsaturated fats found in fish meal and fish oil from spoilage by oxidation. The more unsaturated an oil is, the more prone it is to spoilage (rancidity) by oxidation.
The exceptional nutritional value of oily fish and their oils is mostly due to the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid, both of which are highly unsaturated.
The aquaculture industry has, therefore, relied on synthetic antioxidants (particularly ethoxyquin), but effective natural alternatives are now available. After establishing the availability of potential natural products, The Soil Assn. set a deadline of July 1 after which all antioxidants used in organic fish feeds and their raw materials must be of natural origin.
By working with fish meal and oil manufacturers, feed mills and various companies developing natural antioxidant products, the necessary testing and development has taken place, and The Soil Assn. has met its target.
Natural antioxidants typically use extracts of plants, seeds and nuts and have active ingredients that include various forms of vitamin E tocopherols, vitamin C, gallates (from gallnuts) and diterpenes (from rosemary).
Peter Bridson, Soil Assn. aquaculture program manager, said, “It has been very satisfying to bring all the links of the supply chain together to work on this project. It has required a lot of testing. We agreed on the deadline with the stakeholders last year, and everyone has worked together to achieve it.
By using fish meal and oil made from the recycled filleting wastes of fish already caught for human consumption, we already have the most sustainable feeds in the industry, and it is great to know that we can also protect their unique omega-3 fatty acids with natural antioxidants,” he added. Aquafeed plant CP Vietnam Livestock Co. Ltd. has received an investment license from the southern province of Ben Tre to open a $68.5 million plant to produce feed for fish and shrimp. The project, the biggest yet of its kind in the province, will cover an area of 12 hectares at the An Hiep Industrial Complex in Chau Thanh District. When completed in August 2008, the plant will operate with a total capacity of 384,000 mt per year.