About Skretting
Skretting, the global aquafeed division of Nutreco, provides innovative and sustainable nutritional solutions and services to the aquaculture industry. This global player has production facilities in 18 countries on five continents. In 2022, the company produced and supplied more than 3 million tons of high-quality feed for more than 60 species of fish and crustaceans. For Skretting, R&D is crucial to meeting global nutritional needs, both today and in the future.
Sustainability
“Our main target group includes producers of Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout, sea bass, sea bream, tilapia, and shrimp,” says Sam Eggington, Global Formulation Manager at Skretting. “For a long time, nutritional value was the most important parameter when creating new recipes. Today, sustainability is an equally significant factor.”
The aquaculture sector is looking for ways to expand the basket of available protein, oil, and starch sources, as volumes of individual ingredients become challenging and prices volatile. “Introducing novel and alternative ingredients, such as insects and algae can ensure future flexibility in formulations,” says Sam Eggington. Skretting uses BESTMIX® Recipe Management to estimate the effect of new ingredients on the nutritional value of the overall recipe.
Ingenious yet simple
The Norwegian production facilities introduced BESTMIX® formulation software in 2013, and its other branches followed suit in the following years. Today, the migration to the cloud version — BESTMIX® Recipe Management 4 — is well underway. Asked to describe the software, Sam Eggington doesn’t hesitate: “The tool is ingenious and powerful, but at the same time it’s simple and logical to use. Compared to our previous formulation software, new users can master BESTMIX® Recipe Management much faster.”
Sam Eggington points out the great complexity of aquaculture nutrition. “The price, quality, availability, and sustainability requirements of raw materials are constantly changing. This requires regular adjustments to our recipes. With the help of BESTMIX® Recipe Management, we can create the best solution with the desired nutritional value at an optimal cost price.”
Procurement and formulation collaboration
Skretting’s procurement and formulation departments work closely together. “The Multiblend application within BESTMIX® Recipe Management ensures that we purchase the appropriate quantities based on current and future production needs. In the event of scarcity in the raw materials market, or if prices rise too high, we can find the perfect alternative using the formulation software.”
The migration to BESTMIX® Recipe Management 4 means everything to do with the formulation is now in the cloud. “That’s brought us several advantages. The update process now takes place at the same time across all locations. I also note that the user experience has improved, and my colleagues say that the software works even better.”
Precision
Skretting’s Norwegian production facility uses the Procision option in BESTMIX® Recipe Management. BESTMIX® consultant Filip Snauwaert explains: “The formulation process is traditionally based on average values. Thanks to Procision, you make the calculations based on the current values of the available ingredients on hand. For example, a silo often contains raw materials and ingredients from different batches. What’s at the top of the silo may differ in nutritional value from what’s at the bottom. Procision allows you to regularly measure the quality of the raw materials that leave the silo and, based on that, adjust the recipe to work with the exact values of that sample.”
Sam Eggington believes this doesn’t just improve precision but also helps to increase sustainability. “Sustainability isn’t only about selecting the right raw materials but also about making optimal use of the raw materials we have on site. Procision helps with this. Moreover, you don’t have to be a BESTMIX® expert to get started. Production operators can easily use Procision every day.”
Open communication
Sam Eggington doesn’t hide his enthusiasm. During our conversation, it became clear that Sam Eggington thoroughly understands BESTMIX® software. “Sam really wants to get the maximum value out of our software,” says Snauwaert. “This was evident from the incisive questions he asked during the implementation process.” But according to Sam Eggington, the BESTMIX® team knew exactly how to respond. “We have a very open relationship. If there’s a better way to use the software, Filip will proactively point it out to us. It’s great to work with a partner who has the same hunger for quality and perfection,” concludes Sam Eggington.
