BioMar launched BioRetain a few days ago, the next step in the company’s approach to feed formulation, building on almost three decades of research and development. The new formulation concept is designed to improve nutrient utilization while giving greater flexibility in the raw materials used to deliver high-performing feed solutions.
While giving the news, Carlos Diaz, CEO of BioMar Group, commented: “BioRetain represents an important step in how we develop feed solutions for the future. Greater formulation flexibility strengthens our ability to respond to changes in raw material availability while continuing to deliver the biological performance and feed efficiency our customers expect.”
BioRetain builds on this research by applying balanced functional nutrition to improve nutrient utilization and retention, helping direct more of the nutrients provided through feed towards growth. This approach also creates greater flexibility in formulation, reducing dependence on individual raw materials while maintaining a strong focus on biological performance.
Efficiency, the Key Word
Aquafeed formulations have changed significantly over the past two decades as nutritional knowledge has advanced and the range of available raw materials has expanded. BioMar has continuously developed its formulation approach alongside these changes, with research increasingly focused not only on the nutrients provided through feed, but on how efficiently they are utilized by the animal.
According to the company, BioRetain has been developed through years of research and trial work. Multiple trials have demonstrated opportunities to improve growth, feed conversion and nutrient utilization while adapting to farming conditions, as well as maintain performance with lower digestible protein levels in certain applications.
“Growth is not simply about supplying more protein or more energy. What matters is how fish and shrimp retain and utilize those nutrients, turning more of every kilo of feed into performance and value for the farmer,” explained Simon Wadsworth, Global R&D Director at BioMar.
“With BioRetain, we provide balanced functional nutrition to improve nutrient retention, giving us a stronger foundation for biological performance while increasing the flexibility of our formulations,” he added.
Depending on the Objectives
BioRetain, they explained, can be applied differently depending on the objectives of individual feed solutions, species and production systems. This creates opportunities to support growth and yield in performance-focused feeds, while in other applications maintaining biological performance with more cost-efficient formulations.
The new product will be implemented gradually across BioMar’s product portfolio, with the concept adapted to different species, markets and production requirements. This approach will allow BioMar to progressively bring the benefits of BioRetain into its feed solutions with the concept continuing to evolve as the science and understanding of nutrient utilization advances.
ASC Certification in Greece
Some weeks before the launch, BioMar Greece achieved ASC Feed Certification, completing BioMar’s ASC certification pipeline across its global production network. With this latest certification, all BioMar feed production facilities where the ASC Feed Certification programme is currently available are now certified.
The certification in Greece marked the completion of a global process that has seen BioMar progressively achieve ASC Feed Certification across its production facilities in Europe, Latin and Central America, Australia and Asia. BioMar’s facilities in China are not included in the certification pipeline following ASC’s decision to phase out its certification programme in the country.
“This is an important milestone for BioMar and the result of a significant effort from different teams across our organization. Completing our certification pipeline gives us a strong global foundation to support our customers with ASC-conforming feed and respond to the growing demand for transparency and responsible sourcing throughout the aquaculture value chain,” said Marco Espinoza, Head of Global Quality for BioMar Group.
For BioMar Greece, the certification strengthens its ability to supply ASC-conforming feed to aquaculture producers across the Mediterranean region, including customers farming key species such as seabass and seabream.
For Thanos Batsikouras, Managing Director at BioMar Greece: “Achieving ASC Feed Certification is an important milestone for our team in Greece and for the customers we work with every day. It strengthens our ability to support producers with ASC-conforming feed while meeting increasing expectations for responsible sourcing and transparency across the supply chain.”
