ARTICLE 70 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE November 2024 “Melanin pigments in the flesh of salmon are linked to inflammation in the fillet. While the exact cause of the problem is unclear, the process typically begins with a bleed or trauma in the flesh, triggering melanin-producing cells – melanomacrophages, as a part of the immune response to fight or seal off the pathogens and clean up the damage caused by the trauma. Recent science has also linked the initiation to hypoxia and necrosis of fat cells that triggers the inflammation cascade in the fillet.” Atlantic salmon is one of the world’s most popular seafoods, renowned for its nutritional benefits that support human health. The salmon farming industry significantly contributes to the economies of the producing countries, providing employment and supporting related sectors such as feed production, processing, and equipment manufacturing. FLESH QUALITY: A KEY SUCCESS FACTOR High performance during production, as well as resilience against diseases and stress, are important success factors in Atlantic salmon farming. Good health and welfare are keys to both profitable and responsible farming, and are also the critical factors that influence the flesh quality of the final product. The quality and appearance of the fillet is important as it influences consumer purchasing decisions. Processing plants classify quality based on several characteristics, including pigmentation, texture, and uniformity. One major issue that reduces the share of premium product is the presence of dark spots known as melanin spots or melanosis in the fillet. Melanin is a naturally occurring pigment in salmon, forming dark spots on the skin, and also occurs in the immune system as part of the fish’s immune defense against pathogens. The quality issues arise when these dark pigments accumulate in the fillet, appearing as spots or a diffuse discoloration through the whole fillet. This necessitates the removal during processing, leading to increased labor costs and reduced product yield. Diffuse discoloration can result in downgrading or, in the worst case the discarding of the entire fillet, causing significant economic losses. Issues with melanin accumulation affect operations in several major salmon producing countries. In Norway, the reports indicate that as much as 20% of the harvested salmon is impacted, and in Chile almost 30% of downgraded fillets are downgraded due to melanosis, according to Aquabench. Melanin spots have a significant impact on the salmon industry as a whole, and any tool that can reduce the occurrence of these spots will be of great importance to the industry. To understand the available solutions, and why krill meal might be part of the RESEARCH ON ENHANCING QUALITY AND REDUCING MELANIN SPOTS Marianne Nergård Product Director Aker BioMarine
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