Do feeds contain growth hormones or antibiotics?

No. Skretting feeds do not contain any growth-promoting hormones. In some markets, antibiotics are added to Skretting feed upon customer request and per veterinary prescription, in accordance with specific rules established by law. The requirement of veterinary prescription ensures that the usage is well documented and justified, based on a proper diagnosis thus helping to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics.

Medicines can only be used in the event of disease, never as a preventative measure or as growth promotor. In order to reduce the risk of transferring traces of antibiotics in treated animals to consumers, medicated feed containing antibiotics must be produced and administered under strict controls. A “withdrawal period” must be adhered to, which is the set period of time required between treatment and harvest. This ensures that the medicine is no longer present in the fish when being consumed.

Skretting is strongly working towards reducing the use of antibiotics through recommending best husbandry practices, encouraging the use of vaccines and promoting the use of functional diets to minimise the risk of disease. Even though we strive to keep the animals healthy and free from disease, bacterial diseases do inevitably occur. In some of these cases, antibiotic treatment still plays an important role in relieving animal suffering, safeguarding animals health and welfare. The central principle is therefore to use antibiotics responsibly, as little as possible and only when necessary.

Pincoy

Concrete support to reduce the use of antibiotics  

The Chilean salmon industry has long been criticised for its extensive use of antibiotics. In recent years, growing pressure from governments and consumers has resulted in a strong industry focus to reduce antibiotics. This has led to the development of many useful innovations and to overcome this challenge, Skretting initiated the Pincoy Project in 2016 to bring together industry partners from various stages in the Chilean salmon production chain to find a holistic solution. In addition to making important improvements in health, welfare and monitoring, Pincoy 1.0 was successfully completed, and the roll-out of the second phase, Pincoy 2.0, took place at the end of the year. Current participants include Skretting, AquaGen/Blue Genomics, Pharmaq, Centrovet, Cermaq, Blumar and Camanchaca. 

About Pincoy

 

Frequent questions on feed ingredients

What ingredients are in our feed?

Aquaculture feeds contain essential nutrients that should be delivered in the right quantities to keep fish and shrimp growing well and healthily.  These nutrients come from a variety of different sources. In addition to fish meal and fish oil, they often contain other vegetable-based meals and oils, fish trimmings and processed by-products from land animals.

Learn more about ingredients

Are the raw materials that we use in our feeds responsibly sourced?

Yes. At Skretting, we maintain that one of the most positive sustainability impacts that we can have is to ensure that we manufacture our feeds from responsibly sourced raw materials.

Learn more about raw materials

Are the animal by-products used in aquaculture feeds dangerous to human health?

No. The safety of animal by-products has been proven by numerous scientific studies. Utilising these raw materials that would otherwise go to waste also helps to dramatically reduce the amount of fish meal and fish oil used by the industry. 

Learn more about by-products

Do salmon and trout feeds contain colouring?

In the wild, the flesh of salmon and trout can be a red/pink colour, due to an antioxidant called astaxanthin.  Astaxanthin is produced in natural waterways by algae, yeast and bacteria, all of which are in the food chain of salmonids. Astaxanthin is an essential nutrient for salmon. It is required to remain healthy and disease free.

Read more

Do feeds contain growth hormones or antibiotics?

No. Skretting feeds do not contain any growth-promoting hormones. In some markets, antibiotics are added to Skretting feed upon customer request and per veterinary prescription, in accordance with specific rules established by law. 

Learn more about hormones and antibiotics usage

Do feeds contain chemicals or preservatives dangerous to human health?

No. Aquaculture feeds are subject to strict checks to ensure that they do not pose any threat to human health. Any preservatives used must comply with laws and regulations governing their use.  

Learn more about preservatives

What is ethoxyquin and is it safe?

Ethoxyquin is an antioxidant that protects and maintains the quality of the omega-3 fatty acids in fish meal, particularly during transport and storage.

Learn more about ethoxyquin

What are fish meal and fish oil, and why are they used in aquaculture feeds?

Fish meal is a powder obtained after cooking, pressing, drying and milling fresh raw fish, while fish oil is a liquid pressed from the cooked fish. Both are produced from harvesting short-lived, fast-growing stocks of small, bony and oily fish for which there is little or no demand for human consumption. 

Learn more about fish meal and fish oil

How much wild fish is needed to feed farmed fish?

Skretting now has the knowledge and R&D to produce Atlantic salmon feeds requiring zero fish meal, and zero fish oil. We invest in R&D that provides full flexibility.  

Learn more about wild fish inclusion

Do we use novel ingredients in our feeds?

Yes. Skretting is in full support of the development of novel ingredients and we have been using some of these in our diets with the support of those customers.

Read more about novel ingredients

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