Pigmentation of salmonids and crustaceans

Come through with flying colours

Consumers associate an intense salmon meat colour with high taste and nutritional value of the meat and good health status of the fish. For this reason, the most prominent quality characteristic of Atlantic salmon is the red/pink colour of the flesh.

Supplementing fish feed in aquaculture with carotenoids allows you to intensify the natural colour of salmon, trout and crustaceans to the desired level.

The challenge in pigmentation

It is a true challenge to maintain the ideal colour of the fish fillet as numerous factors, such as fish size, genetics, changes in feed formulation, fat content and fat composition in the feed and level of carotenoid supplementation all have an effect on pigmentation. Further factors such as certain environmental influences and slaughtering conditions also play a role.

One of the most important operational processes in commercial fish farms is therefore to balance fish astaxanthin concentration to the customer demand at minimum cost. Retail trade and the processing industry specify the required flesh colour precisely and it is therefore essential to get the feed formulation right to achieve the desired pigmentation in the salmon.

Consumer preferences differ and therefore the desired colour varies from country to country. There are two methods of determining the colour of the salmonid fillets: by colour fan with values of 20-34 and by photometre.

The fish farmer may experience economic losses if the fillets deviate from the colour agreed upon and the fish cannot be used for the intended purpose.

A bright solution

Thankfully, it is possible to achieve the right colour of fish meat by supplementing the feed with standardised colourants, i.e. Astaxanthin, which can also be combined with canthaxanthin.

Astaxanthin is available from natural sources or from chemical synthesis, while canthaxanthin can only be obtained from chemical synthesis. They are regulated in the EU as sensory additives.

The higher the dosage, the more intense the pigmentation effect, however exceeding a dose of 50-60 mg astaxanthin per kg feed achieves only marginal effects.

Kaesler Nutrition is your perfect partner for the pigmentation of salmonids and crustaceans with more than 30 years experience in carotenoids and their complex interactions. Kaesler Nutrition quality means carefully selected raw materials, ideal particle structure and special packaging to protect the valuable pigments within, while high bioavailability insures intense colouration. With Astaxanthin and Avixanthin (canthaxanthin) we make sure you come through with flying colours.

Did you know?

The costs for carotenoids in salmon feed account for 15-20% of the total feed costs, and around 6-8% of total production costs. That is why it is so important to use high quality colourants with proven pigmentation effects! Use Avixanthin and Astaxanthin by Kaesler Nutrition!