As global demand for seafood continues to climb, fish farming is stepping up to meet the challenge. A solid, nutritious pellet made with the use of a good binder is responsible for every healthy, fast-growing fish. Pellet stability in water, known as aqua-stability, is one of the important quality criteria of aqua feeds. Aqua feeds contain different types of binders and are generally processed in various kinds of pellet mills. Binders develop solid bridges through chemical reactions to make strong interparticle bonding and give a binding effect to all the ingredients used in feed. They strengthen pellets and improve pellet integrity, durability, and stability. They also reduce nutrient leaching and prevent both fragmentation and abrasion of pellets during handling, transportation, and storage.

Aquatic animals mostly require additional pellet characteristics such as flowability, floatability, water absorption capacity, and water stability. The three main parameters used in measuring pellet physical quality (PPQ) are:

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•Hardness: It is the maximum force required to resist/withstand crushing without cracking or breaking.

•Durability: It is the ability of pellets to remain intact after subjection to load and force during transportation, handling, and storage.

•Water stability: It refers to the ability of pellets to retain their physical integrity when immersed in water for a specific time. High water stability means minimum disintegration and nutrient leaching.

Advantages of Pelleted Feed on Aquatic Animals

•The heat generated in conditioning and pelleting makes the feedstuff portion more digestible.

•Pelleted feeds allow animals to better utilize the nutrients in the feed ingredients.

•The pellet simply places the feed in a concentrated form.

•Pelleting minimizes waste during the eating and consumption process.

•Pelleting reduces the segregation in mixing, handling, and feeding processes; therefore, each animal receives a well-balanced diet.

Limitations of Synthetic Binder:

Traditionally, synthetic binders like Polymethylol Carbamide (PMC) have been widely used to strengthen pellets. Although effective, it exhibits certain drawbacks. PMC is a urea formaldehyde resin that leaves formaldehyde residues during pelleting and digestion. Formaldehyde is known as an irritant and a potential carcinogen. Some studies suggest that PMC shows an adverse effect on the taste or texture of feed, which results in reduced feed intake. However, with growing concerns about sustainability, performance efficiency, and cost-effectiveness, researchers are exploring more and more natural organic binders that can be considered as a viable organic alternative to PMC.

Natural Pellet Binder:

Natural pellet binders are not only sustainable but also a cost-effective alternative to synthetic binders. They show several advantages such as improved water stability of feed, enhanced pellet durability, reduced feed wastage, and lowered production costs. They also help create stronger, more resilient pellets that maintain their integrity in the water for longer periods. Natural organic binders minimize nutrient loss and maximize feed utilization by the fish. Therefore, provide adequate nutrition to each fish. Because of its natural origin, they do not leave any harmful residues in aquaculture.

Benefits:

•Optimum water stability

•Provides good texture and fewer cracks on the pellet

•Optimum durability and hardness

•Reduces the occurrence of fines

•Protects essential nutrients

•Improves pellet consistency

*References on request