Astaxanthin is a red pigment (a type of carotenoid) contained in the flesh of salmon and trout and skin of red sea bream, krill, and shrimp. It is widely used as a pigment in salmon and trout farming. It is also known to have strong antioxidant properties, and in recent years has gathered attention as a nutraceutical and cosmetic ingredient.
Utilizing a fermentation technology, we have succeeded in manufacturing natural astaxanthin. Currently, astaxanthin-containing "Panaferd-AX" is being used as a natural pigment in the aquaculture industry to improve the color of fish flesh and fish skin.

Astaxanthin for fish feed
"Panaferd-AX"

"Panaferd-AX" is a powder obtained by drying bacterial cells that have accumulated astaxanthin. It contains about 2% astaxanthin (Photo 1).

When Panaferd-AX is given to atlantic salmon, rainbow trout (also known as salmon trout), and coho salmon, their flesh will have good color (Photo 2).

Also, when Panaferd-AX is given to red sea bream, their skin will obtain more natural color compared to when synthetic astaxanthin is used (Photo 3).

Panaferd-AX is natural astaxanthin produced with fermentation technology. It is widely used throughout the world, including for organic salmon, for which synthetic astaxanthin cannot be used.