Raw material screening is one of the most important procedures in all of BioMar. Just like humans, the key to a healthy diet is using high-quality ingredients that provide the right nutrition. Therefore, all raw materials we source are subjected to our screening process to ensure they meet the nutritional specifications advertised and, more importantly, are safe to use in our feed.  

BioMar begins our screening process before we purchase any raw materials. BioMar has a dedicated SAAT team (Supplier, Approval, Audit, Traceability) who are responsible for evaluating suppliers, performing risk assessments and even on-site audits when required to ensure all suppliers meet BioMar’s code of conduct and comply with all our sourcing policies. The SAAT team is essential to ensure that both the suppliers and raw materials meet our requirements. After approval, the raw materials will arrive onsite where they are first subjected to a preliminary inspection. This inspection screens the raw materials for any evidence of wetting (which can result in mold growth), the presence of any non-biological containments such as scrap metals and if any insects are present.  

The next step in the process is one of the most important in all of BioMar, sampling our raw materials. Sampling involves taking a small sample of the raw material to our onsite laboratory for analysis. The raw materials are first tested to ensure they meet the nutritional specifications advertised, which is essential as we formulate our feed very precisely to meet the nutritional requirements of the fish we feed. Our lab predominantly tests this through Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) which rapidly and accurately provides nutritional data in a non-destructive manner. However, if required we can also do traditional wet chemical analysis. Sampling also provides us with the opportunity to test raw materials for any undesirable substances. BioMar Australia will keep retention samples of the raw materials for 2 years, allowing us to go back and test them at any time during a year after the fish has been harvested.  

Raw material screening will remain one of the most important processes at BioMar because like you, We Care about food safety and We Care about sustainable aquaculture.