Skretting: Innovation in aquafeed

Finding and evaluating alternative ingredients to guarantee the nutritional value of recipes can be challenging. How can the aquafeed industry deal with this?

The aquaculture sector is looking for ways to expand the basket of available protein, oil, and starch sources, as volumes of individual ingredients become challenging and prices volatile. Introducing novel and alternative ingredients, such as insects and algae can ensure future flexibility in formulations. Skretting uses Bestmix Recipe Management to estimate the effect of new ingredients on the nutritional value of the overall recipe.

In feed and aquafeed production, resources supplies and prices are highly volatile. How do you master the great complexity of aquaculture nutrition?

The price, quality, availability, and sustainability requirements of raw materials are constantly changing. This requires regular adjustments to our recipes. Using Bestmix Recipe Management, we can create the best solution with the desired nutritional value at an optimal cost price. Furthermore, Skretting’s procurement and formulation departments work closely together. The Multiblend application within our formulation software tool ensures that we purchase the appropriate quantities based on current and future production needs. In the event of a scarcity on the raw materials market, or if prices rise too high, we can find the perfect alternative.

Bestmix Recipe Management really makes my job easier. It makes everything as simple as possible for the end user and allows us to formulate and adjust recipes in an agile way.”

The formulation process is traditionally based on average values. How to make more precise calculations and benefit from this?

Skretting’s Norwegian production facility uses the Procision option in Bestmix Recipe Management. This way, we make the calculations based on the current values of the available ingredients on hand. For example, a silo often contains raw materials and ingredients from different batches. What’s at the top of the silo may differ in nutritional value from what’s at the bottom. Procision allows us to regularly measure the quality of the raw materials that leave the silo and based on that, adjust the recipe to work with the exact values of that sample.

Can software help increase sustainability?

Our main target group includes producers of Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, sea bass, sea bream, tilapia, and shrimp. For a long time, nutritional value was the most important parameter when creating new recipes. Today, sustainability is an equally significant factor. Sustainability isn’t only about selecting the right raw materials but also about making optimal use of the raw materials we have on site. Bestmix Recipe Management software is the right tool for us to achieve efficient and sustainable formulation.

Skretting, the global aquafeed division of Nutreco, provides innovative and sustainable nutritional solutions and services to the aquaculture industry. In 2022, the company produced and supplied more than 3 million tons of high-quality feed for more than 60 species of fish and crustaceans.