Feeding dried yeast to Pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) as dietary fishmeal replacement

摘要

At the present annual growth rate in demand, fish meal supplies are estimated to be entirely consumed by the aquaculture sector by 2025. Considering this, the aquaculture sector has been forced to find potential locally available alternatives for fish meal. A possible innovative solution is using microorganism single cell protein (SCP), such as the dried processed yeast. Although dried yeast has the potential to be a good protein source, high costs - ranging between US$230 and US$250 per ton - have so far inhibited its use in fish diets. The bioconversion of agricultural and distillery industrial wastes to protein-rich feed ingredients has two direct benefits to make the final product cheaper and to convert a waste product, which eventually would pollute inland and coastal waters, into a valuable commodity for mankind. Indeed, conversion, not dilution, is the solution to pollution. Through conversion, the wastes from one resource user become a resource for another. The trend in yeast production costs is downward because new less costly processes to recover distilled yeast are emerging. Moreover, the use of more sustainable formulas in the aquafeed industry can alleviate the pressure on fisheries resources, reducing, as well, the nitrogen outputs from fish farms.