Nutreco announced that it has invested in Israel startup ViAqua as part of its focus on combating disease in the aquaculture industry. VI Aqua is developing the first orally-administered treatment for shrimp that improves resistance to viral diseases, including White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV), and prevents viral epidemics. The solution offered by ViAqua, which was founded in 2014, uses a proprietary particle to disable viral infections. In future, ViAqua intends to expand to include more species, like other shellfish such as lobster, crab and smll fish. Other shareholders in the company include The Trendlines and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, both based in Israel.
The investment iis in line with Nutreco’s mission of ‘Feeding the Future”; the company’s ambition to contribute by producing enough nutritious and high-quality food for a growing population in a sustainable way. According to Nutreco CEO Knut Nesse, “Preventing and treating disease, particularly viral infections, is one of the biggest challenges facing the aquaculture industry today. In Shrimp farming alone, diseases cause 10-201% losses. Working together with Viaqua, we will be able to offer targeted solutions to reduce and prevent disease. “ Nutreco’s aquaculture division Skretting will work directly with ViAqua effectively deliver the solution to the market.
Nutreco is a global leader in animal nutrition and aqua feed and employs over 12,000 people in 32 countries with net sales of $ 5.9 billion in 2017.Its two global company brands. Skretting (aqua feed) and Trouw Nutrition (animal nutrition) have sales in over 90 countries.
Source: Aquaculture Spectrum