Introduction
Shrimp feed formulation requires increasing flexibility and cost-efficiency while minimizing environmental impact. Lyso -phospholipids (LPL) are functional additives that support this goal by enabling partial ingredient replacement without compromising nutritional performance. This study assessed the net environmental benefit of a lyso-phospholipid-based additive (Aqualyso) in shrimp feeds through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Environmental Return on Investment (EROI) analyses.
Material and methods
LCA was conducted in accordance with ISO 14040/44 standards (ISO, 2006a,b), the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) guidelines (European commission, 2021), and FAO LEAP recommendations (FAO, 2020) . Biological performance data from controlled trials testing the additive with Litopenaeus vannamei were used to simulate commercial shrimp farming in Indonesia . System boundaries included feed ingredient sourcing, feed processing, transport, on-farm emissions, and energy consumption. Carbon footprint (CFP) was calculated at both the feed level and farm level, expressed as kg CO₂eq /kg feed or CO₂eq /kg liveweight of shrimp, respectively, as the functional unit . Additionally, the EROI was assessed as the ratio between the reduction in CFP at the farm level and the environmental impact associated with the production of the additive (Blonk et al., 2021).
Results & conclusions
Across all tested scenarios, the inclusion of Aqualyso in reformulated feeds led to measurable CFP reductions at both feed and farm levels, while delivering a positive EROI. In Scenario 1, 0.75% soy lecithin was replaced with 0.1% Aqualyso , resulting in CPF reductions of 2% and 8% at feed and farm levels, respectively (Fig. 1A) . The corresponding EROI was 66 kg CO2 eq saved per kg CO2eq produced by the additive . In Scenario 2, 1 % soy lecithin was replaced with 0.05% Aqualyso , resulting in CFP reductions of 5% and 14% at feed and farm level s, respectively, (Fig. 1B) , and in an EROI of 234 kg CO2eq. In Scenario 3, 0. 75% of soy lecithin and 0. 5% of fish oil were replaced with 0.1% Aqualyso , leading to 3 % and 15% reductions in feed and farm CFP, respectively l (Fig. 1C) , and to an EROI of 115 kgCO2 eq.
In all scenarios, soybean meal remained the primary contributor to feed-related emissions (35-55%; Fig. 1) . Aqualyso enabled reductions in soy lecithin content , thereby marginally lowering overall feed emissions . The observed CFP reductions at the farm level were driven by improvements in feed conversion ratio and growth rate. These findings demonstrate that Aqualyso contributes meaningfully to the sustainability of shrimp production through improved feed formulation flexibility and reduced CFP emissions.
References
Blonk , H ., Bosch , H. , Braconi , N., Cauwenberghe, S., Van Kok., B. 2021 . The applicability of LCA guidelines to model the effects of feed additives on the environmental footprint of animal production.
European Commission. 2021 . Product environmental footprint category rules (PEFCR) for unprocessed marine fish products.
FAO. 2020. Livestock Environmental Assessment and Performance Partnership (LEAP).
ISO. 2006a. ISO 14040 Environmental ma nagement – Life cycle assessment – Principles and framework.
ISO. 2006b. ISO 14044 – Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines.