October 14, 2014
Expert cautions against use of rice bran as aqua feed
A Filipino aquaculture expert warns that feeding fish grown in ponds and cages with rice bran can be bad for the health of consumers.
Virgilio Marzo, in a talk on the last day of the agricultural fair AgriLink in Manila last weekend, said whole-rice bran may contain the Omega 6 fatty acids which, in large doses, can lead to some diseases.
In addition, rice bran contains high arsenic levels, he said, pointing out that eating fish with high arsenic content can cause liver and kidney cancers.
Marzo, a graduate of the University of the Philippines College of Fisheries with further training in Germany, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and Thailand, has developed aqua feed with higher crude-protein content from fishmeal and other substances high in Omega 3. He claimed that crude protein hastens the growth of aquaculture fish such as tilapia and milkfish.
He recommends that fishmeal should contain from 35% (the international standard) to 45% protein for fish to grow faster. The protein content may even go as high as 50%, he said.