On a global basis, fish meal resources are limited and researchers are looking for other sources of protein for use in fish feed. Plant meal is an alternative source of protein that is already widely used. Many fish feed trials have been conducted in order to establish how the farmed Atlantic salmon utilise nutrients in plant meal, but fewer studies have been carried out on farmed Atlantic cod.
Previous studies carried out by the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES) indicate that cod can consume a feed consisting of up to 75% plant protein without any significant reduction in the growth. Nevertheless, new plant ingredients may cause more subtle health effects in the fish.
– Therefore, we wanted to investigate whether a high level of plant protein in the feed would affect cod health, or have any other subtle negative effects on the Atlantic cod. We therefore examined the stress gene ex
