Find us on social media

Aquafeeds
Aquafeeds

Canada approves importation license for krill-based ingredient Qrill Aqua

Responsible Seafood Advocate

Aker Biomarine earned U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval earlier in 2022

krill
CFIA this week approved imports of Norway-based Aker BioMarine’s Qrill Aqua, a krill meal product and aquafeed ingredient that boosts fish performance.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) this week approved Norway-based Aker BioMarine’s importation license, allowing aquafeed manufacturers to use Qrill Aqua, a krill meal product, as an ingredient.

CFIA renewed the registration following the removal of ethoxyquin as an antioxidant additive from Qrill Aqua, which functions as a feeding stimulant that leads to increased feed uptake and enhanced growth, as well as improved health and performance for marine fish like salmon.

Aker BioMarine modified elements of its krill meal manufacturing process in 2018, which resulted in the removal of ethoxyquin as an antioxidant. The company also developed a unique vacuum-packing method, using materials that exceed U.N. standards, for oxygen-free packaging on fishing vessels.

“We now package our krill meal product under modified atmospheric conditions. We remove the oxygen from the produce and flush it with nitrogen, which then eliminates the need for ethoxyquin. The addition of nitrogen to the process required a new evaluation from the CFIA to show that nitrogen had zero effect on the nutritional values, quality or stability of the krill meal,” said Sigve Nordrum, executive VP of animal health and nutrition at Aker BioMarine.

Now that Canada has approved the ethoxyquin-free product, Aker has converted 100 percent of its production lines to the new technology. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the product earlier this year.

FDA approves krill products for farmed salmon feeds

“We appreciate the thorough process with the CFIA and its seal of approval for our krill meal product. QRILL Aqua continues to grow in its standing as an important, functional ingredient for marine fish, and we have large customers in Canada who have been eagerly awaiting the import of krill meal into the country once again,” added Matts Johansen, Aker BioMarine CEO.

CFIA completed its evaluation of the manufacturing process in January 2021, and official approval for use was granted on Nov. 29, 2022. QRILL Aqua™ can now be found listed as an ingredient on the Canadian Feed Ingredients Table, classified as coming from a “registered source.”

Follow the Advocate on Twitter @GSA_Advocate

Now that you've reached the end of the article ...

… please consider supporting GSA’s mission to advance responsible seafood practices through education, advocacy and third-party assurances. The Advocate aims to document the evolution of responsible seafood practices and share the expansive knowledge of our vast network of contributors.

By becoming a Global Seafood Alliance member, you’re ensuring that all of the pre-competitive work we do through member benefits, resources and events can continue. Individual membership costs just $50 a year.

Not a GSA member? Join us.

Support GSA and Become a Member

Author

  • Responsible Seafood Advocate

    Responsible Seafood Advocate

    [103,114,111,46,100,111,111,102,97,101,115,108,97,98,111,108,103,64,114,111,116,105,100,101]

Share

Tagged With

Canada krill United States krill meal Aker BioMarine News

Related Posts