Extruder technology: Bridging the gap between industry and research in the production of aquafeeds

Northeast Nutrition（NN）是一家商业饲料厂，符合加拿大食品检验局（CFIA）的标准。 该法规不允许使用其附表IV（饲料法规）中未列出的成分。 他们公司特有的问题是，在此之前，他们无法测试他们感兴趣的新成分。 成分已获得CFIA的全面批准。这使NN处于竞争劣势。NN也不是 能够生产小批量的实验饮食，由于其挤压机的大规模输出。这是 昂贵的，有时是不可行的，因为一些新的饲料成分在它们的应用中仅少量可用。 发展的初始阶段。此外，NN停止其业务在商业上或经济上都不可行。 生产周期，使测试饮食。为了解决这个问题，第一次与德里克博士的研究关系 达尔豪西大学农业学院（Dal AC）的安德森一直在寻找NN。在这个项目中：1） Dal AC的中试规模挤出机获得商业上可接受的挤出物所需的操作条件是： 饲料将确定。2)中试规模挤出机挤出以下成分所需的操作条件 NN将决定是否有兴趣为这些测试成分中每一种开发生产方案。3)一个或 我们会挑选更多试验饲料，在喂鱼试验中作进一步测试，以确定它们对鱼类生长的影响。 性能该项目将为NN提供一种获得商业质量实验性水产饲料的方法 而不中断生产周期。这也将允许生产含有以下成分的饲料， 希望在未来的饲料，如那些尚未批准的CFIA。这项研究将为NN提供一个 竞争优势，预期的经济效益，通过提供技术，以快速 制作他们目前无法生产的试验饲料。这项研究也将提高现有的知识 基于如何使用中试规模的挤压机，使鱼饲料的质量与那些与 这将使加拿大水产饲料业受益。

Northeast Nutrition (NN) is a commercial feed mill that adheres to Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulations, which does not permit the use of ingredients not listed in their Schedule IV (Feeds Regulations). Their company-specific problem is that they are unable to test new ingredients of interest to them until this ingredient has been given full CFIA approval. This places NN at a competitive disadvantage. NN is also not capable of producing small batches of experimental diets, due the large-scale output of their extruder. This is expensive and at times, infeasible, as some novel feed ingredients are only available in small amounts in their initial stages of development. Additionally, it is not commercially or economically viable for NN to halt their production cycle to make test diets. To remedy this problem, a first time research relationship with Dr. Derek Anderson at Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture (Dal AC) has been sought by NN. In this project: 1) The operating conditions required by the pilot-scale extruder at Dal AC to obtain a commercially acceptable feed will be determined. 2) Operating conditions required by the pilot-scale extruder to extrude ingredients of interest to NN will be determined to develop a production protocol for each of these test ingredients. 3) One or more test diets will be selected for further testing in a fish feeding trial to determine their effects on fish growth performance. This project will provide a way for NN to access commercial-quality experimental aquafeeds without halting their production cycle. This will also allow the production of feeds containing ingredients they hope to include in future feeds, such as those not yet approved by CFIA. This research will provide NN with a competitive advantage, with expected financial benefits, by providing them with the technology to quickly make test feeds they are currently incapable of producing. This study will also improve the existing knowledge base on how to use a pilot-scale extruder to make fish feeds with the qualities of those made with a commercial-scale extruder, which would benefit the Canadian aquafeed industry.