It was a pleasure to connect with shrimp feed producers and one of the emerging stars of alternative shrimp feed ingredients during this week’s The Fish Site/InnovaFeed webinar. The recording of the event is now available, so please feel free to view it and spread the word.

One ingredient that wasn’t covered in the webinar was astaxanthin – a substance that’s added to the feeds of some farmed seafoods to ensure that they are the precise shade of pink that consumers expect. The need for this addition is often lambasted by critics of the sector, not least as synthetic alternatives are sometimes used. However, the story of the production of astaxanthin and its potential benefits – not only in cosmetic terms but also in terms of fish health – is much more compelling than many people realise. For a crash course in this hugely significant antioxidant ingredient I’d strongly recommend a read of this week’s interview with Heidi Kuehnle, founder of a company that’s developed a novel technique to produce it naturally, economically and at scale.