Consequently, research activities connected with the development of technological methods to provide increased utilisation of nutrients in marine raw materials, as well as studies of bioactive components of significance for feed formulation and human health, are prioritised research fields in Nofima Ingrediens.
Feeding trials have shown that minerals in fish bones can be made more available by technological processing, and that significant opportunities exist for increasing added value of marine raw materials by alternative processing of fish bones.
Nofima Ingrediens is also working strategically to develop knowledge about underlying water and fat-soluble components in marine raw materials, which can be essential with respect to effect on feed intake, growth, health and quality of farmed fish.
Growth and health promoting properties of low molecular, water-soluble N-compounds in fish protein hydrolysate (FPH) have been documented in cod and salmon, and growth promoting properties have been found in amino acids that are traditionally assessed as non essential in plant protein-rich diets.
Nofima Ingrediens, in collaboration with the University of Bergen, is studying the effect of FPH and specific water-soluble components for appetite regulation and bowel habits in salmon, and for health promoting properties in mammals.
By identifying essential factors of significance for the production of farmed fish, it will be possible for the aquaculture industry to optimise these compounds or find alternative sources to replace them.
Relevant issues
- International interest has been generated about the significance of nitrogenous micronutrients in fish feed and the significance of better utilisation of marine resources.
- Proven poor utilisation of phosphorous from fishmeal produced from blue whiting, and a lack of phosphorous in rapid growing 0(+) salmon smolt fed with this type of fishmeal in the period immediately after transfer to sea cages
- Patent granted on the technology process to increase availability of phosphorus from fish bones
- Documented growth promoting properties of hydroxyproline in salmon feed
- Documented growth properties of ash-rich marine by-products in cod
