Portable on-site tool for fish farmers ensuring premium harvest

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

The overall visual impression is important for the consumer when buying fish; and the color of the fish filet is an important quality parameter for the farmer. Different markets have different requirements for the salmon’s redness. According to the Norwegian Seafood Research Fund, pigment levels in salmon fillets have decreased in recent years, with the lowest pigment levels ever measured in Norwegian-farmed salmon reported in 2020. The characteristic color of salmon is due to a specific fatty acids composition of feed, high in marine raw materials and pigments such as astaxanthin. Both color and fat are important to measure for the farmer. Correct measurement will allow the industry to document the effect of feed and feed ingredients on the level of astaxanthin, visual color, and fat in the fish fillets. Today separation techniques (chromatography) is used to measure astaxanthin and fat in the salmon fillet. It is both an expensive and time-consuming process, which must be carried out in specific laboratories. AKVA group aim to develop a new portable tool to allow farmers to monitor the quality of their products through the whole production cycle, at their own farm site, to ensure a premium final product at harvest.