Feed Technical Consultant Vegard Flo

New PhD Strengthens Cargill's Knowledge of Feed in Closed Aquaculture Systems

NORWAY
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, 07:50 (GMT + 9)

Cargill is expanding its expertise in specialized fish feed, building upon the extensive research conducted by Technical Consultant Vegard Flo, who recently successfully defended his industry PhD thesis.

Flo’s work, focusing on sustainable phosphorus management in Norwegian aquaculture, provides crucial insights for optimizing feed in submersible, land-based, closed, and semi-closed facilities.

Optimizing Feed for Sustainable Aquaculture and Fish Health

Vegard Flo, who works daily with specialized salmon feed for Cargill, completed his industry PhD in collaboration with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) and Cargill. His dissertation, titled "Sustainable phosphorus management in Norwegian aquaculture: consumption, emissions and circularity in focus," was successfully defended on Friday, December 5.

Flo's research, which is documented across four robust scientific articles, demonstrates that using system-adapted feed diets in closed facilities can significantly reduce phosphorus loss. A key finding is the vital role of lower water temperature in this reduction.

Furthermore, Flo's work reveals new correlations between Vitamin D, phosphorus, and minerals, suggesting the necessity of increasing the Vitamin D level in the feed. This ensures that salmon produced in closed systems meet the expectation of being a good Vitamin D source for human consumption. "We now know what Vitamin D level we must aim for in the feed formulation to maintain the correct level of Vitamin D in the fish," says Flo.

Cargill has a long history of developing customized feed in close partnership with its customers across various closed systems. The new documented knowledge from Flo’s research is now being applied to further tailor feed for fish in diverse production systems, including closed and hybrid facilities.

System Adaptation and Critical Resource Management

Flo emphasizes that while feed must be developed for the fish based on its needs, more advanced production systems require simultaneous consideration of the system itself to ensure optimal performance.

Ashleigh Currie, Technology Application Lead at Cargill, who heads the company’s business and product development in technology-intensive production, states: “By combining findings from Flo’s research with our knowledge from proven concepts, we are confident we have effective diets for fish in closed and hybrid systems, both on land and at sea.”

Phosphorus is a limited, non-renewable resource essential for all life, making it a critical factor for fish growth, health, and the environment. Currently, Norwegian aquaculture uses nearly as much phosphorus as agriculture, and its emissions can lead to over-fertilization in the fjords.

“If we do not improve recycling and emission control, phosphorus consumption in aquaculture could become four times higher than agriculture by 2050,” warns Flo. He concludes that the combination of optimal feed composition, temperature management, and improved purification technology can make Norwegian aquaculture more sustainable, both economically and environmentally.

Key Research Findings:

• System adaptation of diets can help aquaculture companies reduce phosphorus emissions and avoid exceeding discharge permits.

• In closed facilities, salmon growing in colder water have a lower need for phosphorus than those in warmer water, necessitating different feed formulations.

• Reducing the water temperature in RAS facilities from 14 to 12 degrees results in healthier and more robust salmon when transferred to the sea. However, this increases the accumulation of dissolved phosphorus and iron in the system, which can challenge water treatment.

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