The quality and digestibility of our feeds is important for the fish. During manufacturing and storage we stabilise our raw materials and finished feeds to ensure that we meet our quality standards.
Protection from oxidation is achieved via a variety of methods, depending upon the product. Typically, our suppliers will add some form of protection at manufacture and in some cases, there is a legal requirement to add antioxidant. For example - the International Maritime Organization (IMO) require that a stabiliser be added to fishmeal prior to shipping, ensuring safe transportation of storage of this ingredient. This is because the essential omega 3s we all require in a healthy diet react naturally with oxygen in the air, and in some conditions, can catch fire.
We will continue to work independently and with our raw material suppliers to further refine the oxidative state and shelf life of our feeds and as such, these methods may vary over time. Common means used to stabilise raw materials and our feeds include:
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Packaging in containers flooded with CO2 to reduce oxygen
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Encapsulation with starches or other less reactive components
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Protection with antioxidants, including tocopherols (vitamin E-like compounds), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and propyl gallate.
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) have been widely used antioxidant food additives for the last 80 years. Both were re-assessed in 2022 for feed use by the European Food Safety Advisory Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP). Ethoxyquin is an effective and widely used stabilizer. Ethoxyquin is approved by the federal government and generally regarded as safe.
Ethoxyquin remains in legal use in the global supply chain and traces of ethoxyquin may be found in the marine ingredients we use.