Canada approves importation license for krill-based ingredient Qrill Aqua

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

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.”

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