Aquaculture has been the fastest growing animal production sector in the last decade.

Almost half of the fish and shrimp currently consumed globally comes from aquaculture, and in the coming years it is expected that aquaculture will surpass capture fisheries as the main provider of fish and shrimp.

However, the growth of aquaculture faces some hurdles. One of them is the availability and price of feed raw materials, such as fishmeal, which has led the industry to search for alternatives such as proteins from plant origin. With the current increase in use of plant-based ingredients in aquaculture feeds, the risk of mycotoxin contamination is very real. Mycotoxins have a negative impact on the performance of aquatic farmed species, leading to significant economic consequences within the industry.

Another major challenge in aquaculture is the gut health of aquatic species. Aquatic species live in close contact with the surrounding environment in which opportunistic bacteria, such as Vibrio sp. are present. Micron’s programs for feed preservation, mycotoxin remediation and nutraceuticals aim to improve productivity, maintain balanced gastro-intestinal tract microflora, alleviate stress and minimize negative effects of mycotoxins in fish and shrimp.