The project is funded by the Norwegian Seafood Research Fund (FHF).
A new study from Nofima, led by researcher Antony Philip, concludes that the low utilisation of zinc in salmon, a mineral essential for their health, should be solved through the supplementation method.
The salmon retains only a small portion of the zinc, while the rest is lost into the aquatic environment. This creates several problems, including non-compliance with the European Union's requirements, which aim to reduce zinc emissions to the environment.
"The solution is to increase the digestibility of zinc in the feed so that salmon can still obtain enough zinc even if the content in the feed is reduced," says Philip.
Nofima has supported this method and documented its effects in post-smolt kept in land-based tanks with seawater at the Feed Technology Centre, a facility equipped with the technology and expertise to test different feed formulations and processing methods.
Next, Philip and his colleagues at Nofima will carry out the TOP-zinc project, through which they will identify strategies to achieve the best zinc absorption and evaluate how this affects fish health in sea cages.
The project is carried out in collaboration with the Institute of Marine Research, Akvaplan-niva, MOWI Feed AS, Huvepharma NV, and NIVA. It is also funded by the Norwegian Seafood Research Fund (FHF).
"By changing the method, feed companies can help increase uptake, cut emissions, and reduce feed costs. In TOP-zinc, we are exploring options that can support decisions on zinc supplementation strategies in salmon feed, also in the grow-out phase at sea," says Philip.
