This know-how, complemented by INVE's experience in premix activities, and continually strenghtened through scientific collaboration with leading research centres, has enabled the efficient and successfull development of customised premixes, formulations, and technical services for the aquaculture feeds industry.
The first leader on larval and nutrition acquired by Inve was Artemia Systems. Artemia Systems developed a complete product line for the emerging hatchery market based on the research carried out by Dr. Sorgeloos and his colleagues at the University of Ghent's Artemia Reference Centre (ARC).
Acquiring Artemia Systems in 1991, Inve proceeded to set up a commercial network outside the Mediterranean region. Main product in the 1980s was Artemia (brine shrimp) cysts. At that time Artemia Systems did not have its own source of cysts, so it looked at different producers in the Americas, China and other places.
Artemia Systems later launched its live feeds enrichment diet, under the name Selco.
A third product line is Lansy. This is a range if compound feeds for replacing live feed. Lansy is available in very small particles of seven up to 2000 microns. So this product is not only used to replace live feed but for feeding stages which can ingest larger particles and for which Artemia is getting too small.
Today, Inve has a full range of Lansy diets for raising marine fish as well as shrimp larvae.
Inve's second aquisition was Salt Lake Brine Shrimp Inc. of Grantsville, Utah, USA. This is mainly an Artemia cyst harvesting and production plant situated on the Great Salt Lake.
Productivity in the lake can vary from one period to another. Therefore Inve is always looking to diversify its sources of Artemia.
Inve's latest acquisition, in 1993, was Frippak. Frippak's main product is its range of microencapsulated diets for shrimp larvae (CAR, CD and PL+). It has a diversified line of products for different stages of shrimp larvae from start of culture to products for maturation. The Frippak products also include larval diets for fish, called SEVBAR.
Recently, Frippak started to develop a new range of products, launched under the trade name BIOCARE. These include BACTEPAK, PHYTOPAK, and STRESSPAK.
Bactepak is a concentrated blend of selected natural micro- organims, active substrate and trace elements which stimulates the natural biological process that prevents the build-up of sludge in shrimp ponds.
Phytopak is a specially formulated fertiliser used to maintain optimum phytoplankton blooms in shrimp growout ponds. Stresspak, a multivitamin boosted feed, helps shrimp fight against stress and disease.
The latest development inside the Inve Aquaculture's division is situated in the premix business.
We invested in a special unit to prepare the premixes, and installed it at our facility at Callonne-Sur-La-Lys in northern France.
Inve is offering both premix products and service; people who want to set up new feedmills oriented towards aquaculture ask us to help with the selection and analysis of raw materials, with formulations, engineering, R & D support, microbiological support, quality control and zoo-technical assistance. We charge a fee for these find of services, and we deliver the customade premixes.
A company may have its own feed formulation, and turn to Inve for a premix with the right ingredients properly protected against the heat generated in the extrusion process. Inve also offers a number of standard premixes and custom made products. An important reason for going into premixes is to apply and translate the know-how that is in Inve's aquaculture and agriculture divisions to the next phase of fish nutrition. Until recently, we only looked at the hatchery phase, but there is a big market in growout as well. We do not intend to go into bulk market, but the development of specialised premixes for growout feeds enables us to have a direct input to that sector.
