Aquatic feed formulas define a complex mixture of ingredients designed to fulfill the nutritional requirements of the target species. Each ingredient in a formula plays an important role in the amount of nutrients it supplies, but also interacts with others during the process to produce the final product. Depending on the processing conditions and See full list on globalseafood.org Extrusion cooking involves the application of mechanical energy supplied by the shearing and mixing action of the extruder screws. During the process, a formula mix is transformed from a powdery, free-flowing meal into a dense, compact powder. As temperature and pressure increase in the last section of the extruder, the powder phase melts to form w... See full list on globalseafood.org Proteins are formed from chains of amino acids and, depending on the source, can have different sizes. They are classified according to their solubility: 1. Water-soluble: albumins 2. Soluble in saline solutions:globulins 3. Soluble in 40 percent alcohol: gliadins (part of wheat gluten) 4. Insoluble in 40 percent alcohol: gluten – in (part wheat gl... See full list on globalseafood.org Starches are a source of energy in aquatic feeds, but also play an important role as natural binders and density control agents. Starches are found in cereal grains, potatoes, and cassava. Starch is physically present in cereals in small aggregates of polymer molecules known as granules. There are two physical forms of starch, amylose and amylopect... See full list on globalseafood.org In the extrusion process, water is intrinsic in the ingredients and is also added via steam condensation in the preconditioner or directly into the extruder barrel. As water is added in the extruder to levels greater than 10 percent, the biopolymers hydrate and move more freely. Water can be used to control the density of the final product. At high... See full list on globalseafood.org Similar to excess water, oils and fats act as lubricants between the particles and the screws of the extruder. Oil reduces the friction between the particles in the mix and between the screw surfaces and the liner of the barrels. If oil is added at levels greater than 2 percent of the total mix, it causes the starch granules to melt, but they will ... See full list on globalseafood.org Fiber in aquafeed is found in most cereal grains, and some formulations may include bran. Like starch, fiber is also a polymer of glucose units but with a different linkage between the molecules. This different link, beta 1-4 versus alpha 1-6 for starch, is what makes fiber indigestible to most species except bacteria, which produce the enzyme beta... See full list on globalseafood.org Minerals are not changed during the extrusion process. However, some minerals increase bubble formation in the disperse melt fluid phase. The smaller bubbles increase the surface area and can be an advantage when coating feed with oil. Porous surfaces on pellets are preferred in newer vacuum coating systems to achieve better oil penetration and red... See full list on globalseafood.org Formulas should be designed to perform under an optimum set of processing parameters to achieve the desired product attributes while maximizing its nutritional value and extruder output. Subtle changes made to the formula may require readjusting processing parameters or fine tuning the process. However, major changes made in the formulation may req... See full list on globalseafood.org