NEWS 8 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE July 2025 A new review article, authored by researchers Kiranpreet Kaur from Aker ǪRILL Company and Dr. Silvia Torrecillas from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria with support from the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA), explores the impact of krill-based ingredients on a range of non- salmonid aquaculture species, including sea bream, seabass, tilapia, and olive flounder. As aquaculture continues to diversify beyond salmon, this review evaluates how krill meal and krill oil can support fish health and growth even in low fishmeal and fish oil diets. With growing demand for sustainable seafood and press mounting on wild fish stocks, the aquaculture industry is increasingly seeking efficient and effective feed ingredients that balance performance, cost, and sustainability. Krill has emerged as one such tool. “Krill meal offers a unique combination of highly digestible protein, phospholipid-bound omega-3s, and functional compounds like astaxanthin and chitin,” explains Dr. Silvia Torrecillas, co-author of the review. “This makes it particularly valuable in diets for marine fish that are sensitive to changes in the feed formulation.” The review highlights strong evidence from multiple species showing that krill supplementation consistently improves feed intake, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR). In some studies, juvenile fish fed krill meal grew up to 30% faster, with FCR improvements of up to 17% compared to control groups. This effect is largely attributed to krill’s palatability and nutrient bioavailability – even at low inclusion levels. Read more>> A first-of-its-kind study led by Queen’s University Belfast reveals contaminated crops on farms could be costing poultry organisations over £150,000 in losses annually. Published recently in the journal Environmental Impact Assessment Review, the ground-breaking study shows how harmful chemicals known as mycotoxins, can have a detrimental impact on the environmental and economic sustainability of the global poultry industry due to feed contamination. As poultry production is one of the fastest-growing livestock industries worldwide due to the increase in demand for poultry meat and eggs, the presence of these chemicals in animal feed presents a significant challenge for livestock farmers across the globe. According to the research, they can substantially reduce profitability and cause food waste, as well as a decrease in food production, resulting in a reduction in poultry feed efficiency by up to 10%. In turn, this can lead to losses of more than £150,000 per annum for a medium scale poultry operation. In addition, the impacts of these mycotoxins on birds can result in poor health, even mortality. Professor Chris Elliott from the School of Biological Sciences and Institute for Global Food Security at Queen’s University Belfast is the lead investigator of the study. “While the effects of mycotoxins on livestock health have been extensively studied, comprehensive research quantifying their combined economic and environmental impacts remains very limited," said Elliott. Read more>> New review highlights benefits of krill meal in non-salmonids New Research: Mycotoxins cost poultry farms £150k Photo: Aker ǪRILL Company Photo: Queen’s University Belfast
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