Pea protein concentrate substituting fish meal or soybean meal in diets for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)—Effect on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass composition, gut health, and physical feed quality

Use an alternative protein source: plant-based

A replicated, controlled study in Norway (Øverland et al., 2009) found similar levels of weight gain and feed intake in salmon, Salmo salar, fed diets containing fish meal, soybean meal or pea protein concentrate mixed with crude protein. Weight gain ranged from 228g to 274g in salmon fed the control and vegetable protein diets. Levels of protein, fat, starch and essential amino acid digestibility were similar between the control and pea protein diets. However, the soybean meal diet had a reduced digestibility in comparison and induced morphological change in the distal intestine. Over twelve weeks, 600 salmon were fed the experimental diets using automated feeders.  One group was fed a control diet based on high quality fish meal. The other diets contained either 200g per kg soybean meal or 200g per kg pea protein concentrate mixed with 350 or 500g per kg crude protein. Final body weights and digestibility of feed components were measured.