How does BioUp Aqua’s liposomal encapsulation technology work?

BioUp Aqua uses a patented liposomal encapsulation process to enhance the bioavailability of astaxanthin in salmon feed. By encapsulating astaxanthin in liposomes made from GRAS ingredients, the technology protects the pigment during feed storage and improves digestibility, ensuring more effective astaxanthin uptake into the fish’s muscle tissues and a redder fillet colour.

What are the benefits of BioUp Aqua’s technology for farmers and salmon quality?

BioUp Aqua’s liposomal encapsulation technology reduces astaxanthin levels in feed by more than 50%, significantly cutting costs while delivering consistent, industry-standard pigmentation. This innovation helps farmers meet consumer demands for premium-quality salmon while optimising fish health, growth performance, and productivity.

What trial work has been undertaken to date?

An independently conducted five-month trial at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in Canada compared liposome-encapsulated astaxanthin with standard formulations during Atlantic salmon feeding trials. Results showed equivalent flesh pigmentation after 90 days at half the astaxanthin dose using liposome formulations, plus improved astaxanthin stability in feed, and good results for salmon health, growth, and feed conversion. These scientific findings validate the liposome-astaxanthin technology’s effectiveness and readiness for scaling.

What are the next steps for the technology to become commercially available?

Pre-commercial trials in seawater environments with industry partners are required to validate the positive trial results in the smaller seawater tanks during the Huntsman trials. This pre-commercial phase will focus on further refining feed formulations and validating technology use at commercial feed production scale (with the partner’s specific feed mix), for synthetic and natural astaxanthin.

A further step will be optimising the production of natural astaxanthin in combination with liposomal technology to ensure commercial scalability and readiness for market.

Can this technology also be used with natural astaxanthin?

BioUp Aqua’s technology has been successfully tested with natural astaxanthin.  Access to low cost (RAS grown algae) astaxanthin in conjunction with BioUp Aqua’s proprietary liposomes highlights the ability to provide a cost-effective alternative to synthetic pigment options. Ongoing optimisation in pre-commercial trials will further enhance its application for farmers seeking to align their products with consumer preferences in organic and other sustainable seafood markets.

How does this technology support sustainability in salmon farming?

The liposomal technology reduces the global salmon farming industry’s reliance on synthetic astaxanthin, which lowers petrochemical resource consumption and waste. And the ability to incorporate natural astaxanthin cost-effectively, supports a progressive shift toward more natural and sustainable farming practices.