Date: 07/03/2025

Aquaculture nutrition has advanced to meet production requirements with high-performance ingredients, guaranteeing balanced formulations that are compatible with the preservation of marine resources. In this context, the F3 Krill Replacement Challenge brings together companies and researchers to test nutritional alternatives that can replace krill in commercial diets.

The F3 Krill Replacement Challenge selected 10 products from the market previously chosen by different companies, taking into account the participation of BioActio Health & Performance. All the products underwent careful evaluations to validate their efficiency in the formulated diets, where weight gain, feed conversion and survival rate were assessed in comparison with the positive control diet (feed with krill-based ingredients) and negative control diet (feed without krill-based ingredients). As a result, the award recognizes innovative solutions that meet the needs of the sector without compromising the nutritional performance of crops.

In this article, we present the details, the evaluation criteria and the participation of BRF Ingredients, which entered BioActio Health & Performance, a functional ingredient developed for the nutrition of various species, including aquaculture.

Topics:

F3 Krill Replacement Challenge: Funding for innovation in aquaculture nutrition

The F3 Krill Replacement Challenge is a global challenge looking for sustainable, innovative and nutritious alternative ingredients to replace krill in feed formulations for the aquaculture sector.

Organized by Future of Fish Feed (F3), the award encourages the research and development of ingredients that maintain or surpass the nutritional performance of krill meal and oil without compromising the productive efficiency of crops.

According to the organizers, the first three F3 competitions saved more than 2.5 billion forage fish.

In the project, the challenge seeks ingredients with a high biological value that allow balanced diets to be formulated without relying on marine raw materials. Even so, the aim is to maintain the nutritional quality of the feed, guaranteeing aquaculture productivity in line with good environmental practices.

How does the challenge work and what are the evaluation criteria for 2025?

The ingredients entered and selected for the F3 Krill Replacement Challenge underwent a controlled experimental phase in which they were tested in diets formulated for Atlantic salmon.

The testing period lasted 12 weeks, and the selected ingredients were analyzed for their ability to replace krill without compromising the nutritional efficiency of the feed.

To ensure an accurate comparison, each ingredient was tested under the same conditions, allowing detailed analysis of the effects of each ingredient on fish performance. Compared to a control diet (positive and negative), the evaluation considers three key metrics:

Animal weight gain

The performance of a group was analyzed based on the growth of the animals fed, comparative weight gain and increase in biomass with the diets containing krill substitutes.

Feed conversion

The efficiency of the ingredients was evaluated according to the assimilation of nutrients and energy utilization, considering greater weight gain according to the feed conversion of the diets.

Survival rate

The test also considered the animals' ability to maintain a good physiological state throughout the production cycle, representing a nutritionally balanced diet and animal survival.

Entries in the challenge followed technical criteria defined by the organization, and the products had to demonstrate compatibility with commercial feed formulations.

Participation of BRF Ingredients with presentation of BioActio Health & Performance

In this edition, BRF Ingredients was among the companies taking part in the F3 Krill Replacement Challenge, competing with BioActio Health & Performance, developed for use in the nutrition of various species, including aquaculture.

BioActio Health & Performance, known as BRFi's Chicken Hydrolyzed Protein, the highlight product of the challenge, is obtained through a biotechnological process in which enzymatic hydrolysis takes place, in which the protein chains are fragmented into smaller peptides, resulting in a highly digestible, low molecular weight ingredient that is quickly absorbed and rich in bioactive peptides.

Unlike conventional proteins, the bioactive peptides present in BioActio Health & Performance can be absorbed in their entirety, without undergoing hydrolysis by the body's endogenous enzymes, offering high digestibility and high absorption.

This helps them reach the bloodstream and act directly on the animals' metabolism, performing immunomodulatory, antioxidant and antimicrobial functions, contributing to health and zootechnical performance.

Analysis of proven benefits of BioActio Health & Performance

Focused on a solid scientific basis for its application in animal nutrition, the results obtained with BioActio Health & Performance have been validated through in vivo tests with different species and at recognized universities and research institutes in Brazil and around the world, and the main benefits observed include:

Improves the immune system

The ingredient has bioactivity potential through the molecular functionalities of its bioactive peptides. With approximately 75% of the molecules below 3,500Da, it favors antioxidant, antimicrobial and antihypertensive actions, contributing to animal health.

Optimization of zootechnical indices

The use of the ingredient promoted weight gain, improved feed conversion rates and increased crop productivity.

Increased survival rate in challenging environments

Bioactive peptides with antimicrobial and immunomodulatory functions strengthened the animals' immunity, reducing losses associated with health challenges.

Improved water quality

The inclusion of BioActio Health & Performance has contributed to a reduction in the level of ammonia nitrogen, promoting a more balanced farming environment and reaffirming the ingredient's approach as a more sustainable alternative, since good water quality provides benefits to the oceans.

These effects have been validated in different applications, including pig farming, pet food and aquaculture. In the case of shrimp farming, tests have shown a high survival rate in challenging environments, such as in farms exposed to Vibrio parahaemolyticus and in conditions of high salinity.

In addition, an improvement in zootechnical indices was observed, with significant gains in final weight, feed conversion rate and shrimp biomass. Finally, another relevant factor was the reduction in the ammonia nitrogen load in the water, which favored a more balanced cultivation environment with better conditions for the development of the species.

Final considerations

Animal nutrition is undergoing constant advances, driven by the development of ingredients that increase the efficiency of diets and reduce dependence on limited natural resources.

As an opportunity to evaluate new formulations that meet the nutritional requirements of aquaculture without compromising the feed quality of crops, the F3 Krill Replacement Challenge is being presented in a strategic manner.

In order to actively participate in this movement, BRFi has planned to contribute high value-added solutions in line with the sector's demands. In this scenario, BioActio Health & Performance represents an approach with proven nutritional efficiency and zootechnical benefits.

Our commitment to innovation and sustainability leads us to participate in challenges, such as the F3 Krill Replacement Challenge, which are key to driving innovation in animal nutrition and reducing dependence on limited natural resources. BRF Ingredients is proud to be at the forefront of this transformation, investing in high-performance, scientifically validated and sustainable solutions, as well as adding value to products in the production chain.

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