Your guide to shrimp and aquafeed water stability

Pellet water stability is a critical quality parameter in aquafeed production. It determines how well pellets retain their shape and nutrients once they enter the water — directly influencing feed intake, pond environment, and farm economics.

Nutrient retention
Stable pellets minimise nutrient leaching, ensuring shrimp and fish receive their intended diet and reducing wastage of costly nutrients.

Feed efficiency
Better pellet integrity allows animals to consume the complete ration before nutrients disperse into the water, supporting optimal growth and FCR (feed conversion ratio).

Pond pollution
Poor water stability leads to disintegrated feed and increased organic matter in pond water. This contributes to higher turbidity and oxygen depletion, ultimately increasing animal stress, disease outbreaks, and mortality rates, and can result in the need for medication or antibiotic treatments.

Environmental and regulatory implications
Nutrient leakage contributes to eutrophication and poor water quality, both of which are increasingly monitored under sustainability certifications and export standards.

Consistent pellet quality and stability result from a combination of raw material control, process optimisation, and additive selection.

Raw materials
Most ingredients in an aquafeed formulation affect binding performance and water stability — whether traditional or new/alternative sources (insect meal, plant proteins, algae, etc.). Understanding ingredient functionality and interactions is key to achieving stable, digestible pellets.

Production process control and management
Well-managed pelleting or extrusion processes are critical for consistent results. Regular process monitoring, operator training, and preventative maintenance help maintain optimal conditioning, moisture control, and die performance — all of which influence pellet durability and water stability.

Use of a pellet binder
Pellet binders are essential tools for achieving and maintaining water stability across raw material variations and processing conditions. A good binder allows flexibility in formulations while securing consistent pellet performance over time.

An effective aquafeed binder should combine strong performance, process compatibility, and safety.

• Delivers consistent pellet water stability over time, even with changing raw materials.
• Reduces fines and dust generation, improving feed mill yield, throughput, and quality.
• Safe to use and easy to handle, without occupational or environmental risks.
• Should not negatively impact process performance such as throughput, energy efficiency, or downtime.
• Offers formulation flexibility, enabling the inclusion of innovative ingredients and sustainable raw materials.

Feed producers are increasingly affected by both local and regional feed regulations and import/export compliance requirements. Examples include:

• Restrictions on formaldehyde-based additives such as PMC.
• Growing preference for natural or sustainable alternatives to improve safety and traceability.
• Certification bodies (ASC, BAP) emphasising low environmental impact and safe manufacturing practices.

Feed formulation choice affects binder performance. Most feed raw materials — whether conventional or innovative — influence pellet quality, including water stability. Variability in ingredient composition, moisture content, and functional properties can affect the binder’s performance, making process consistency and binder selection key to maintaining pellet quality.

Download free e-Book: Effect of raw materials on feed pellet quality

• Pelleting:

  • Most common process for shrimp and many fish feeds.
  • Typically requires a binder to ensure good water stability.
    
    

    See also: Your Guide To Pelleting 

• Extrusion:

  • Produces more durable, water-stable feed due to higher cooking and starch gelatinisation.
  • Increases production flexibility.
  • Less common for shrimp but increasingly used.

Intact Aqua is a new, sustainable binder and alternative to PMC, developed to deliver consistent water stability without the health, safety, or regulatory concerns associated with formaldehyde-based products.

It provides improved process performance, fines reduction, and flexibility across raw materials and feed formulations — supporting both shrimp and other aquafeed applications.

Life Cycle Assessment: Reduce your CO₂ footprint with Intact Aqua

Water stability is rarely perfect — and in aquafeed production, small variations in raw materials or processing can make a big difference. The right binder can help maintain consistent pellet quality, even under challenging conditions. Each feed type has its own stability needs, and selecting a safe, effective, and sustainable binder can ensure reliable performance and measurable results over time.