Brande, Denmark-based BioMar has teamed up with French rainbow trout producer Aquadis Naturellement to supply the aquaculture company with its new Salvea aquafeed.
Salvea, a new feed concept developed by BioMar, is founded upon two pillars: “closer to nature” and “with a sustainable profile,” the feed developer explained in a press release.
“Today’s seafood consumers are not only interested in what’s on their plate, they also want to know where it comes from, how it is made and what is in it,” Ole Christensen, vice president of the EMEA Division at BioMar Group, said in the release. “With a lot of mixed messages in the market it can be confusing for the consumer to make a healthy choice and that is why many look for natural and organic foods. This is how the ‘back to nature’ trend has emerged.”
Emerging consumer trends identified in the market by BioMar and Aquadis Naturellement led the two entities to seek out their Salvea-focused partnership, Aquadis Naturellement CEO Jean-Pol Le Ribault said.
“Consumers are concerned whether the food choices they make are good for their well-being and if it has been produced in a sustainable manner,” Le Ribault said. “This development increases our responsibility as fish farmers for providing wholesome seafood which also respects nature and its resources.”
The first feed product to be included in the Salvea portfolio will be available to rainbow trout farmers in France and Spain. The Salvea recipe consists of naturally-derived pigments, added natural antioxidants, and ingredients that resemble natural prey for fish, such as insect meal, BioMar explained. The feed concept also includes increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which have proven health benefits for both fish and humans, and fish trimmings meal, which results in a fish-in, fish-out (FIFO) ratio as low as 0.3.
“It is important to emphasize that Salvea is not only about individual raw materials, as these may change. Products under the concept may change, yet the basis of Salvea lies in a consumer demand, looking for a natural, healthy and sustainable lifestyle,” Christensen noted. “Salvea is the simple solution for bringing farmed fish closer to end consumers. For our customers, this is a new opportunity to talk the same language as the end consumer with a message that is easy to understand. They will be creating a competitive advantage for their business while doing their part in caring for the oceans.”
“With Salvea, we aim to increase our contribution to the conservation of the environment, backing up the benefits deriving from the fact that our fish are being raised on a RAS system. Given the highly sustainable profile of Salvea, we also meet consumer demands, as this feed concept offers what our target audience, the French seafood consumers, is looking for: a natural and sustainable choice,” added Le Ribault.
BioMar and Aquadis Naturellement have been working together in various capacities since 2010, when Aquadis Naturellement built its first recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility in Moulin Neuf, Brittany, France. At the time, BioMar shared its expertise in the field with the fish producer.
“We are happy to partner with Aquadis Naturellement to be our first Salvea customer and we look forward to partner with more fish farmers joining us in driving the change in seafood consumption,” Christensen said.
Photo courtesy of BioMar
