Forty companies from across the world have registered for the F3 - Future of Fish Feed’s latest aquaculture feed contest — the F3 Krill Replacement Challenge. This current contest from the F3 initiative is designed to spark innovation for alternatives to krill in aquaculture feed.
“We are thrilled by the vast amount of interest, both in terms of variety of products and from companies located all over the world,” said F3 Judge Kevin Fitzsimmons, a professor of environmental science at the University of Arizona. “It is gearing up to be a great competition and already highlights the fact that there are many viable replacements on the market already that we don’t need to fish krill from the wild for an ingredient in feed.”
The companies that registered for the F3 Krill Replacement Challenge have a variety of high-quality products ranging from black soldier fly and algae to single-cell proteins. The companies include: Agri-King Nutrition, Inc., APC LLC, Arbiom, Aqua Management Technologies, BCF Life Sciences, Bioiberica, BRF Ingredients, Calysseo, CCYAA, dsm-firmenich, eniferBio, Entobel, Entosystem, F4F, Guangdong Evergreen Feed Industry Co., Ltd., Hamlet Protein, Hermet Nutrix, JF Nutritech Sdn Bhd, Jiangsu Fatide Biotech, Ltd., KnipBio, Lutia, Maltento, MFC Group, MicroHarvest, Mutatec, nextProtein, NovoNutrients, Nutrition Technologies, Orffa Additives, Palmatech, Phileo by Lesaffre, PreZero, Protenga, Protix, Revolgene Labs Pvt. Ltd., Shaivaa Algaetech, Shrimpkart Ventures, Sotup, Symrise, and Stratium.
The next step is for the F3 judges to select the ten companies that will compete in the 12-week comparative feeding trial in which each competitor’s marine-animal-free product will be incorporated into an F3-designed, plant-based feed for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).
To determine a winner of the $100,000 USD grand prize, the F3 judges will compare salmon weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and survival observed for each krill replacement product. A diet containing krill meal is also included in the trial as a control.
The F3 Krill Replacement Challenge—the fourth contest hosted by the Future of Fish Feed—was motivated by scientific research that has shown sharp declines in krill populations by as much as 80%. These declines are the result of climate-induced changes in ocean temperature, currents, acidification and regional overfishing. Nutritionally equivalent alternatives to krill are needed to bolster food security and seafood output to feed a growing world population, the organization said.
A full list of participants and their products are available on the F3 Challenge website. An announcement of the ten companies selected for the feeding trial is expected in late October 2023.
Aquafeed.com has been interviewing some registrants of the F3 Krill Replacement Challenge. See below.
Entobel: The attraction of insect meal
eniferBio: The power of mycoprotein
JF Nutritech: Could phytonutrients replace krill?
Stratium: Insect protein to replace krill
Symrise Aqua Feed: Land-based byproducts
Protenga: An insect-based palatability enhancer
Nutrition Technologies: A new insect-based approach
Shaivaa Algaetech: A mix of microalgae
Palmatech Product: A palm oil concentrate
dsm-firmenich: A palatable protein ingredient
BCF Life Science: A functional amino acid concept
China-based Jiangsu Fuhai Biotech Co., Ltd.: A soybean peptide
