Menlo Park, California, U.S.A.-based alternative feed producer Calysta has released a study showing it achieved better results from feeding the company’s branded feed to largemouth bass compared to similar fish fed fishmeal-based feed.
Calysta produces its vegetarian FeedKind brand feed through a proprietary fermentation-based process.
In a 10-week growth study carried out by the Institute of Feed Research at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing, the largemouth bass involved in the study enjoyed “increased growth, better survival, and improved gut health” when fed FeedKind protein.
“Other observed benefits included better digestibility of dry matter and nutrients, better antioxidant capacity and better microbial diversity,” Calysta said in a press release.
A separate study conducted in early 2022 by Texas A&M University produced similar findings, it said.
However, the Calysta statement also noted a report on the findings published in Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, a publisher of open access scientific journals, found “a diet high in fishmeal content was not the best choice for largemouth bass.” The MDPI report found a mixed diet containing 3 to 6 percent FeedKind in a low-fishmeal and high-plant protein diet provided optimal benefit.
Calysta’s FeedKind has gone through multiple trials to determine whether it can serve as an adequate replacement for fishmeal in feed, and so far it has proven effective in yellowtail, salmon, trout, and shrimp. Calysta has previously conducted studies showing FeedKind can improve shrimp’s immune response to vibrio, the causative agent of early mortality syndrome.
Calysta said it plans to commence production of Feedkind meal at its joint venture production plant in Chongqing, China by the end of 2022. The Calysseo plant is focused on selling FeedKind to Asia’s aquaculture sector, and in China, largemouth bass is a popularly grown species. The company’s investors include BP, Adisseo, Temasek, AquaSpark, Mitsui, and Cargill.
“Largemouth bass production in China is rapidly growing and the results of this study show how a diet comprising Feedkind can deliver tangible benefits not just to the fish themselves, but to the farmer,” Calysta Head of Animal Feed Allan LeBlanc said.
Photo courtesy of Calysta
