Feed giant Cargill has just introduced updated microtechnology to help salmon farmers obtain real-time data about flesh quality, and gain a better understanding of how it can be influenced by nutrition.
The company’s portable SalmoNIR uses near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) to test live fish and provide immediate data on fat and omega-3 content, pigment levels, and other important parameters. The data enables salmon farmers to update their farm management in real time, to ensure their customers receive the highest-quality fish.
Fish can be scanned whatever the weather, using a hand-held device linked to a tablet computer. Farmers who scan their salmon often, when counting sealice for example, are able to build up a comprehensive picture of fish quality over time, and adjust feed and feeding as required, according to the company.
“The quick and simple management of this data allows us to refine fish nutrition so salmon farmers achieve their quality objectives in a more consistent way, and at the lowest cost,” Cargill Chile Technical Manager Rodrigo Solervicens told SeafoodSource.
A prototype of the technology has been available to salmon farmers located around the North Sea since 2017, following its development at the Cargill Innovation Center in Dirdal, Norway.
“Typical quality testing requires samples to be sent to a lab for chemical analysis of fat and color, which can be labor-intensive, expensive, and take weeks to see results. It also requires the fish to be culled. SalmoNIR provides fast, convenient, simple and precise results, and also takes into account the well-being of the fish,” Solervicens said.
The latest version is based on the original technology, but has been improved significantly. Testing in Norway and Chile has shown that SalmoNIR produces excellent results, according to Cargill.
“SalmoNIR will now be available in all salmon farming markets, including Chile, North America, and the North Sea,” Solervicens said.
Recently, salmon farmers in Chile had a chance to learn more about the tool at a virtual meeting.
“There was a lot of interest from farmers about the technology and the efficiencies that SalmoNIR can create for them, especially those who have remote sea sites. As a result of the meeting, we’re already working with customers to implement the technology,” he said.
Photo courtesy of Cargill
