The Impact of Marine Resource-Free Diets on Quality Attributes of Atlantic Salmon

The influence of feeding Atlantic salmon for 90 days on diets that excluded fishmeal (FM) and fish oil (FO) was examined for influence on various quality traits. In addition, the effect of adding krill meal (KM; 0%, 2.5%, and 5%), as a putative feed palatant was also examined. Total replacement of F...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Fishes
Main Authors: Ewen McLean, Kelly B. Campbell, David D. Kuhn, Michael F. Tlusty, Frederick T. Barrows
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes9010037
https://doaj.org/article/3f2753b2579c4db58e4cdfbf7e557322
Description
Summary:The influence of feeding Atlantic salmon for 90 days on diets that excluded fishmeal (FM) and fish oil (FO) was examined for influence on various quality traits. In addition, the effect of adding krill meal (KM; 0%, 2.5%, and 5%), as a putative feed palatant was also examined. Total replacement of FM/FO had a limited effect on production characteristics, affecting percentage yields of headed and gutted control fish and their standard length ( p < 0.05). Variances between dietary groups were observed for pigmentation, and plant protein-based KM-free-fed fish returned deeper hues across their belly, NQC (Norwegian Quality Cut), and back portions ( p < 0.03). No differences were measured for relative fin condition. δ 13 C and δ 15 N concentrations were lower and higher, respectively ( p < 0.05) for fish fed the FM/FO-based diet. δ 13 C:δ 15 N likewise differed between treatments with FM/FO-fed salmon expressing higher ratios. Fillet mechanical characteristics varied with fish fed on animal protein-based diets, without KM expressing higher springiness and resilience ( p < 0.05). Fish fed plant-based diets were generally preferred by younger taste testers. The results from this trial illustrate that FM/FO can be completely removed from salmon diets without problematic effects on quality and palatability attributes.