Following its FDA approval in June 2022, QRILL™ AQUA continues to make headway in the North American market with its recent registration with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). This approval means that the Canadian fish farming industry can now include Aker BioMarine’s krill-derived ingredient in aquafeeds.
Aker BioMarine has renewed its registration with the CFIA following the removal of ethoxyquin as a feed additive to its krill meal product, QRILL Aqua. The company modified elements of its krill meal manufacturing process in 2018, which resulted in the removal of ethoxyquin as an antioxidant. The company also developed a unique vacuum-packing method, using extra robust material that exceeds the toughest U.N. standards, to secure the krill meal in large, oxygen-free packaging directly on board the fishing vessel.
“We now package our krill meal product under modified atmospheric conditions. We remove the oxygen from the produce and flush it with nitrogen, which then eliminates the need for ethoxyquin. The addition of nitrogen required a new evaluation from the CFIA to show that nitrogen had zero effect on the nutritional values, quality, or stability of the krill meal,” said Sigve Nordrum, Aker BioMarine’s EVP animal health and nutrition.
Canada is now the last of Aker BioMarine’s markets to approve the ethoxyquin-free product, and with this new approval from CFIA, the company has converted 100% of its production lines to the new technology.
“We appreciate the thorough process with the CFIA and its seal of approval for our krill meal product. QRILL Aqua continues to grow in its standing as an important, functional ingredient for marine fish, and we have large customers in Canada who have been eagerly awaiting the import of krill meal into the country once again,” said Matts Johansen, CEO at Aker BioMarine.
The CFIA completed its evaluation of the QRILL Aqua manufacturing process in January 2021, and official approval for use of QRILL Aqua in Canada was granted on November 29, 2022. QRILL Aqua can now be found listed as an ingredient on the Canadian Feed Ingredients Table (CFIT), classified as coming from a registered source.
