BioMar boosts salmon feed nutrition

Following the EU’s 2019 decision to raise the maximum permitted vitamin D3 in salmonid feed from 2,500 to 60,000 IU/kg, BioMar launched a series of studies to assess the impact of increased supplementation.

“Vitamin D is crucial for fish health, supporting bone development, calcium regulation and immune function,” explained Pedro Gómez Requeni, senior R&D scientist at BioMar.

“Our research confirms that feeds with optimised vitamin D3 levels enriched fillet vitamin D content while maintaining optimal fish performance.”

The results showed that vitamin D3-enriched diets led to a proportional increase in fillet vitamin D levels, with no negative effects on feed intake, growth or feed conversion efficiency. As a result, BioMar has reformulated its standard salmon feeds to take full advantage of the new legal threshold.

“Consumers are becoming more aware of the importance of vitamin D for their health,” said Simon Wadsworth, R&D director at BioMar.

“By formulating feeds that naturally enrich fish fillets, we are helping farmers offer products with added value and supporting public health goals.”

This move not only supports fish welfare and farm productivity but also offers a practical solution to improving human dietary vitamin D intake. “It’s a formulation improvement with wide-reaching impact,” said Wadsworth.