Krill as a Taste Attractant - Case Study

Both fish and crustaceans live in an immersed aquatic environment, where their chemioperceptive system receives permanent stimulation by soluble compounds. These substances are usually of low molecular weight, non-volatile and most of them contain nitrogen (amino acids, nucleotides, etc.). These compounds stimulate the chemioperception of the animal (taste and smell), and its behavior (feeding behavior and intake).

Krill is a natural bait for many species of fish and crustacean, for example, it is one of the main sources of food of wild salmon. Thanks to a low temperature production process, krill preserves all of its properties and it is being used in the aquaculture of salmon, shrimp, sea bream and yellow tail. To provide higher palatability to the commercial feeds, to mask antibiotic taste, and to provide better acceptability to less palatant cost effective diets.

The feature of palatability in krill has been found to rest in the presence of certain amino acids that stimulate the smell and taste, and in the existence of glycogenic amino acids that are appetite stimulants. Furthermore, krill also features other substances of low molecular weight that are reported to have similar effects as palatants, such as TMAO (Trimethyl amine Oxide).