• The products will be available in Ecuador at the end of 2025, with more markets to follow
Skretting announced some days ago the launch of the next generation of its flagship shrimp feeds: Lorica and Optiline. According to them, the products are the first in the Skretting shrimp portfolio to feature groundbreaking EDGEOS PhytoComplexes developed by Nutreco Exploration, company’s team of experts specialising in plant and bacteria research, and the development of proprietary ingredients that have never been used in animal feed.
These EDGEOS PhytoComplexes are a synergistic blend of bioactive compounds derived from whole plants, specific plant parts — such as leaves, flowers, or stems — or combinations thereof, designed to address animal health and performance.
“The addition of EDGEOS PhytoComplexes to Lorica and Optiline allows us to uphold shrimp health and performance with greater precision than ever before,” said Charles McGurk, Skretting’s R&D Director. “These ingredients support resilience and growth efficiency, offering farmers a more robust and sustainable solution.”
The Industry Is Evolving Rapidly
The vision of Skretting is that the shrimp industry is evolving rapidly, against a backdrop of technological change, trade disruptions, increased sustainability focus, and various health challenges. In this dynamic environment, achieving consistent growth and survival is critical for producers worldwide. The new versions of Lorica and Optiline are designed to support farm productivity, and thanks to the inclusion of PhytoComplexes, will offer increased efficacy compared to their predecessors.
They explained that, building on its strong legacy as a functional health feed, Lorica now offers enhanced and broader functionality, supporting shrimp resilience and overall health. For them, this evolution reflects Skretting’s commitment to safeguarding shrimp production against the most pressing risks in aquaculture.
Optiline is built to perform with demanding growth targets. “It has taken optimized nutrition to the next level, and in combination with a unique blend of natural growth promoters, it has resulted in a solution that delivers measurable improvements in growth and feed efficiency. The new formulation also reduces reliance on marine ingredients and minimizes nutrient discharge.
Created to Address the Specific Market Realities of Today
Leiner Lache, Innovation Director for Shrimp at Skretting Aquaculture Innovation concluded: “Lorica and Optiline have been the best in their respective segments for over a decade, and we are confident that they will continue to be, because these new releases were created to address the specific market realities of today. Developed in close collaboration with our customers, partners, and Nutreco Exploration, they are exciting and innovative solutions that will help farmers stay ahead, creating real value for the global shrimp industry.”
Lorica and Optiline for shrimp will be available in Ecuador at the end of 2025, with more markets to follow.
Developing Novel and Proprietary Plant Ingredients
Nutreco Exploration was created in 2021 to serve as a creative engine to help drive the Innovation Groups of Skretting, Selko, and Trouw Nutrition. Through two programs which explore phytotechnology and microtechnology, Nutreco Exploration aims to develop novel and proprietary plant ingredients that will raise the bar on how we can tailor solutions for stand-alone additives, functional premixes, or functional feeds. This groundbreaking work takes place at Nutreco‘s Garden of the Future, located in the world-renowned Phyto Valley in Thurgau, Switzerland.
For the last 15 years, Skretting has incorporated phytogenics or plant extracts into their health diets, such as Protec for fish and Lorica for shrimp. According to them, their collaboration with Nutreco Exploration’s Garden of the Future will revolutionize the way they formulate, as they will be able to use PhytoComplexes from whole plants to help tackle health challenges in the aquaculture industry.
A PhytoComplex is a combination of actives expressed by the entire genotype of a specific plant. Nutreco Exploration doesn’t just use any plant within a plant species – they are looking for the one plant out of thousands in the same species that has the right genotype to tackle a problem.
