Zinpro wins EU green light for chromium methionine in salmonids

EUROPE – Zinpro Corporation has secured European Commission approval for Zinpro® Availa® Cr, a chromium methionine nutritional solution for use in salmonids, marking the first-ever EU registration of a chromium-containing zootechnical additive for fish and positioning the company at the forefront of innovation in aquatic nutrition.

The approval, announced by the US-based trace mineral specialist, follows a positive opinion from the European Food Safety Authority, which confirmed both the safety and efficacy of chromium methionine in fish. 

According to Zinpro, extensive scientific trials demonstrated measurable improvements in growth performance, feed utilisation and nutrient retention in Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout, two of the most commercially important salmonid species in Europe.

“This is a landmark moment for aquaculture nutrition in the EU,” the company said, noting that the decision opens the door for wider adoption of chromium nutrition across other aquatic species and regions. 

Zinpro becomes the first company authorised to introduce chromium into the EU animal nutrition market, reinforcing its long-standing focus on performance trace minerals.

The scientific trials underpinning the approval were led by Claudia Silva, Zinpro’s Global Aquaculture Technical Services nutritionist. 

“We knew chromium methionine had the potential to transform aquaculture nutrition. The data we generated not only proved its efficacy but also its sustainability benefits,” Silva said.

Zinpro said chromium methionine supports more efficient use of carbohydrates, helping fish convert glucose into growth more effectively. 

This, in turn, allows feed formulators to reduce dependence on costly protein ingredients while maintaining performance. 

“Feed efficiency is key to sustainable and profitable farming, but aquatic animals often struggle to convert carbohydrates, the most affordable energy source, into growth,” said Cinzia Boggino, Zinpro Global Aquaculture business development manager. 

“Zinpro® Chromium Methionine helps solve this challenge by improving how fish use glucose and retain nutrients for performance.”

Data-driven insights for sow productivity

In a separate development, Zinpro also recently launched the Zinpro Sow Excellence Index, which it describes as the swine industry’s first data-driven benchmarking system linking claw health to sow productivity. 

The index is designed to help producers identify claw health issues early, before they translate into reduced reproductive performance or premature culling.

The system is built on data from more than 30,000 individual sow assessments collected across multiple countries and continents, making it one of the largest sow-focused datasets of its kind. 

Using a standardised Lesion Index to measure the severity and frequency of claw lesions, the Sow Excellence Index establishes benchmarks that allow producers to compare their herds against global performance data.

“Claw lesions are a silent problem with loud consequences,” said Lucas Rodrigues, Zinpro discovery researcher in swine research. “Our multivariate analysis revealed that sows with poor claw health, such as heel overgrowth and white line lesions, consistently underperform in farrowing metrics.”

Zinpro said claw lesion scoring can be completed in less than a minute per sow and integrated into routine lactation checks. When issues are identified, producers can adjust nutrition, housing or management practices to limit performance losses. 

By turning lesion scores into actionable insights, the company aims to improve sow longevity, welfare and lifetime productivity, while giving producers a practical tool to support data-driven decision-making in commercial swine systems.

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