40 Companies Register to Compete in F3 Krill Replacement Challenge
Sept. 27, 2023 — 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 10 companies that will compete in the 12-week comparative feeding trial in which each competitor’s marine-animal free product will be incorporated into a 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 percent. These declines are the result of climate-induced changes in ocean temperature, currents, acidification and regional overfishing.
A wide variety of marine life depends upon these tiny shrimp-like crustaceans at the base of the marine food chain including whales, penguins, and commercially important wild fisheries like salmon, rockfish, squid, and sardines. Krill also plays an important role by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Nutritionally equivalent alternatives to krill are needed to bolster food security and seafood output to feed a growing world population.
A full list of participants and their products are available on the F3 Challenge website. An announcement of the 10 companies selected for the feeding trial is expected in late October 2023.
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The Future of Fish Feed (F3) is a collaborative effort between NGOs, academic institutions, and private partnerships to accelerate the commercialization of innovative, substitute aquaculture feed ingredients to replace wild-caught fish.
Media Contact:
Annie Reisewitz
MAR Communications
m: 858-228-0526
e: annie@marcom.llc