Phytotechnology solutions to improve resilience and sustainability in aquaculture. In 2021, Nutreco created Nutreco Exploration, an entity that acts as a creative engine to nourish the Innovation Groups of Skretting and Trouw Nutrition with the novel solutions they need. One of its main programs is Phytotechnology, which focuses on the development of EDGEOS Phyto-Complexes: plant metabolites that, when incorporated into the feed, produce a specific physiological effect with the aim of addressing concrete problems and strengthening the resilience, performance, and well-being of farm animals. The first commercial products for aquaculture incorporating EDGEOS PhytoComplexes have been launched by Skretting. At AQUAEXPO 2025, the first two feeds for shrimp incorporating these new products were presented. Lorica includes a plant that helps manage inflammatory stress in shrimp, preventing them from overreacting to their environment. Optiline incorporates a plant that improves glucose absorption and metabolism, optimizing production in more demanding culture systems. "These plants have been developed for and in collaboration with the Ecuadorian shrimp industry, which presents very specific characteristics," explained David Bravo, Nutreco's Scientific Director, in an interview at AQUAEXPO 2025. "Inflammation and glucose metabolism are very specific problems in highly technological production systems, such as the Ecuadorian one. Production is very advanced, and high-quality extruded feeds are used. These particular conditions have allowed us to launch products like these. In other, less technified markets, these products would not have the same effect; the challenges there are different, and it will be necessary to develop solutions adapted to those realities," Bravo added. "These are the first products under the EDGEOS brand developed on our innovation platform, but many more will come, not only for aquaculture but also for livestock and pet food," Bravo highlighted. The EDGEOS Phyto-Complexes. "Phyto-Complexes do not compete with phytogenics; they are different products. We use whole plants or specific parts of them that contain Phyto-Complexes with the aim of addressing concrete problems in animals," Bravo explained. Phyto-Complexes differ from traditional phytogenics in concept and thought model. David Bravo, who has worked with conventional phytogenic products for many years, explains that while these are good products, they were developed under the paradigm of the "Mechanical Universe," which is based on causality, reductionism, determinism, and stable equilibrium. "This thought model led us to simplify plants into a few key compounds and explain their effects on animal physiology. That work was pioneering, but it also trivialized the complex nature of plants, reducing them to individual active compounds within a pharmaceutical approach oriented towards replacing chemicals in feed," Bravo noted. Bravo added that traditional phytogenics usually have very broad applications. "The same product can improve performance in shrimp, production in chickens, or milk quality in cows. That is very good, but I think that in 2025, if we want to produce truly sustainably, we must develop more specific products," he emphasized. "However, this mechanical universe approach worked very well when our world, our industry, was complicated. Now it is so connected and interdependent that this true complexity requires a shift in how we think about the solution to our complex problems. This is what we do at the Nutreco Garden of the Future. We change the way we think about our solutions." The plants used are not the species typically employed in animal nutrition. The development process is carried out in the Garden of the Future, officially inaugurated in 2024. The process involves identifying the right plant, not only at the species level but also the variety and even the part of the plant, to select those that contain the most appropriate Phyto-Complexes. Subsequently, these plants are domesticated and produced on an industrial scale. "We develop a specific algorithm for each plant used, ensuring they are always the same and that the Phyto-Complexes remain constant. In fact, if we are not able to preserve that complexity, we simply do not use the plant," Bravo explained. The Nutreco team works directly with Skretting, identifying industry problems and development opportunities. In fact, given the positive results obtained with the Phyto-Complexes, Skretting and Trouw Nutrition are re-evaluating more ambitious challenges that they had previously ruled out due to a lack of solutions, for example, in the case of salmon, and now consider them viable. The bactocomplexes. Bravo describes his group's work as "a story of the Three Kingdoms," which means that with the animal experts from Skretting and Trouw Nutrition, our team at the Garden of the Future works in two other kingdoms: plants and bacteria. Although the development platform has mainly focused on plants, it also has a second line of research based on bacteria to develop Bacto-Complexes. "It is the same approach. We are not talking about the microbiome or probiotics, but Bacto-Complexes. We incorporate bacteria into the feed, but they are not alive; what we are looking for are their metabolites," Bravo explained. "We do not use known bacteria, so we must discover, domesticate, and produce them, exactly the same process we follow with the plants." The team, in collaboration with Skretting, already has products developed based on Bacto-Complexes that will be launched soon. Innovation with impact and customer-centric sustainability. One of Skretting's priorities is to continue developing new products within the framework of its strategic lines. "One of our pillars is 'innovation with impact', focused on the development of products like these, which represent the future and a clear opportunity to continue differentiating ourselves," said Jorge Díaz, Skretting's Director of Sustainability and Communications. "These products improve performance and help shrimp be more robust and better resist environmental challenges. This reduces mortality and makes production more sustainable and profitable for the farmers," Díaz explained. Skretting recently launched its new value proposition: ACT: Action, Connection, and Transparency. "The strategy is based on co-creating with clients, because we understand that sustainability in Ecuador, for example, is very different from that in Norway. The challenges are distinct, the clients' approaches are also different, and that is why we need to work more closely, co-creating solutions aligned with local sustainability ambitions," Díaz added. "For us, sustainability is not an extra, but part of the core of the business. Furthermore, it is not a matter of black or white. Of course, we will continue to reduce our carbon footprint, but that cannot be the sole focus. We must adapt to market needs and co-create with our clients and the value chain," he emphasized. Moreover, the challenges will continue in the future. "Problems in animal production evolve, and we will evolve with them," David Bravo concluded.

Skretting CEO Bastiaan van Tilburg has been promoted to lead parent company Nutreco as chief executive, the Dutch feed giant announced [...]