"The F3 Krill Replacement Challenge has highlighted the incredible innovation and potential within the aquaculture industry, demonstrating that there are multiple solutions to replace krill,” said Kevin Fitzsimmons, chair of the F3 - Future of Fish Feed Initiative and professor and director of International Initiatives at the University of Arizona. “These alternatives will help protect our oceans while ensuring the continued growth of aquaculture."
Symrise won for their protein hydrolysate ingredients and BRF Ingredients for their chicken hydrolysate. The winning companies shared the $100,000 grand prize, which was awarded during the opening plenary session of the World Aquaculture Society’s Aquaculture 2025 meeting in New Orleans.
These two companies' products emerged as the top performing krill replacements in a 12-week feed trial on Atlantic salmon, demonstrating superior growth, feed consumption and survival rates. The two winners were chosen from a pool of 10 finalists, who were themselves selected from 40 global companies that entered the F3 Challenge to test their krillmeal alternatives to offer innovative solutions that could transform feed production and reduce the environmental impact of traditional krill sourcing. Testing was performed to confirm all products being used in the trial were free of marine animal ingredients.
“For us at BRF Ingredients, this recognition reinforces our commitment to feed the world with sustainable, high quality and global standard Ingredients. We congratulate all participants while celebrating our hydrolyzed products team’s technical skills and talent,” said Marcel Sacco, vice-president of marketing and new channels.
“As a firm believer in the immense potential of byproduct valorization, I see this award as a testament to our ability to develop natural ingredients from circularly sourced raw materials,” said Vincent Percier, marketing director at Symrise Aqua Feed. This innovation enables us to replace wild and endangered species like krill in feed formulations, contributing to a more sustainable global food production footprint.”’
In addition, the F3 judges awarded honorable mentions to three companies for their exceptional performance as promising krill replacements: China-based Calysseo (single-cell protein), Netherlands-based Orffa Additives (amino-acid extract) and France-based Phileo by Lesaffre (yeast extract).
The F3 Krill Replacement Challenge, the fourth in a series of aquaculture industry-focused feed contests hosted by the F3 Initiative, was designed to spark innovation for alternatives to krill in aquaculture feed. This challenge was inspired by feed companies, particularly from China, who suggested finding alternative attractants and palatants would significantly assist in the transition to “fish-free” feed. These krill replacement products have the potential to greatly benefit a wide range of farmed seafood producers seeking to improve the performance of "fish-free" feeds, making these alternatives a promising solution for enhancing feed quality and appeal.
The F3 – Future of Fish Feed is set to announce its next competition, focused on whole fish farm production, in the summer of 2025.
