A long term Research & Development project, initiated through the OFIMER program and gathering BioMar, the French research institutes IFREMER and INRA, and the industrial company Lallemand, has resulted in the first EU-approval of the use of probiotics for salmonids. BioMar will utilise the approval in several new feed products.
Ole Christensen, R&D Manager for BioMar Continental Europe explains: - Our research have shown that the use of probiotics in feed for salmonids can have significant impact on fish health and thereby the economic performance of fish farming. At the same time the use of probiotics has also important environmental benefits as they can reduce the necessity of medication. Thereby the risk of residues left in the environment is reduced.
Live microorganisms
Probiotics are defined as “live-microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host”. While they are common in land animal feed and in consumer food products, they are new in fish farming.
- Probiotics in general act through regulating the intestinal microflora balance. The intestinal microflora balance is important both for the optimal digestion of nutrients and for regulating the growth of unwanted bacterias in the intestine of the fish. From human consumption the benefits from probiotics on digestion are well known from fermented milk products such as yoghurts.
BioMar has together with the other project partners carried out a series of trials both in laboratories and in fish farms across Europe. Ole Christensen explains about the results: - The trials indicated a positive impact on metabolism including the digestion of dry matter and e.g. on reducing the risk of gastro enteritis – a disease caused by bacterias in the intestine and which results in a high mortality. There has been major outbreaks of this disease in several European countries in recent years - especially in the first summer months, when the water temperature is increasing.
The EU-approval is based on an elaborate documentation of the benefits from utilising probiotics - especially reducing the risk of deformities (Vertebral Compression Syndrome) in salmonids. Deformities are an important problem, which leads to reduced fish welfare, higher mortality, and not least important waste in fish processing and thereby economical losses.
New fry feed
- In order to achieve the best results the probiotic must be utilised from first feeding, and this is also the reason that the first feed types with probiotics will be fry feeds, tells Ole Christensen and continues: - The probiotic will be included in a new high performance fry feed concept, which will be launched by the start of the new season, but we expect that probiotics could become an important element in many new feed types over the coming years – this could both be in high performance grower feeds or in special health concepts.
However, Ole Christensen points out that including probiotics is just a part of the package: - It is after all the right combination of nutrients, which makes the fish grow. While probiotics can help digestion, other factors such as raw material selection and the physical production process are still the single the most important elements in obtaining the optimal feed performance.
- And in terms of disease control factors such as farm hygiene and other general disease prevention measures are of course still equally important in order to achieve an optimal health status in the farm. It is also important to understand that probiotics should not be used as a treatment but as a part of the prevention measures, concludes Ole Christensen.