Collaborative work between Salmofood and Cooke Aquaculture allowed the development, locally and in record time, of the formulation, elaboration and certification of the RAW diet, a food solution for the cultivation of organic salmon of the salmon culture company in Chile.

Salmofood, a brand of Vitapro, records a milestone in Chilean aquaculture thanks to strategic collaboration with Cooke Aquaculture. Both companies joined their experience to develop the innovative RAW diet, a new food line for organic salmon that offers natural, organic, sustainable and safe nutrition for fish. 

The alliance, a pioneer of its kind, was generated in response to the need posed by the salmonid producer, who sought a local and high quality food solution for their organic crops in Chile. 

The result: RAW of Salmofood, a food for organic fish that, with the slogan “Return to origin”, is inspired by the ancestral feeding of salmon farming, prioritizing organic vegetable raw materials, sustainable marine sources and natural additives to finally obtain a world-class product, with a high productive capacity. 

The certification of all inputs used in its manufacture, as well as the accreditation of the Castro process plant, underscores the commitment of Salmofood and Cooke Aquaculture to responsible and sustainable production.

Francisco Valdés, commercial manager of Vitapro Chile, emphasized that customers' needs are at the heart of the company's strategy. “The development of this nutritional solution for organic crops by Cooke Aquaculture is a clear example of our commitment to providing effective and cutting-edge responses. We are proud to have taken up this challenge and are very pleased with the results of this work. collaborative with an international salmoniccultor that prioritizes the sustainability and superior yield of its fish.” 

“For us, this project represented a strategic opportunity to strengthen our long-term relationship with Cooke and offer a differentiating value to the market. This, because our Castro plant became the first in Chile to be certified to produce organic salmon food, which puts us at the forefront of the industry,” the executive added.

For his part, Eduardo Suazo, KAM and Export of Salmofood, explains that RAW has been an enriching process “that allowed us to advance step by step, incorporating certified organic raw materials to respond to a highly regulated market. A key milestone was the certification of our plant by Control Union for organic production, achieved last February. This achievement involved the adoption of a new work model, improvements in the storage and handling of inputs, specialized training for our team and the application of strict protocols that today reinforce our commitment to quality and sustainability.” 

“Considering that we already had the ASC Feed, Global G.A.P., BAP (Best Aquaculture Practices) and RTRS Certifications of Chain of Custody (Round Table on Responsible Soy), we were prepared to face any audit process, which allowed us to materialize the project much faster and more efficiently,” he says. 

Virtuous collaboration 

Since 2024, Cooke Aquaculture has been certified to produce organic salmon in Chile – in accordance with the strict European Union (EU) standards – giving rise to a high quality product that then exports mainly to key markets, such as Poland, France and Germany, in addition to the United Arab Emirates.

The technical manager of Cooke Aquaculture, Eduardo Jara, aquaculture engineer and Msc. in Aquaculture Nutrition, points out that until a few months ago the feeding of these crops depended on the importation of diets from the Northeast Nutrition factory that the company has in Scotland.

He explains that, although the collaborative work with Salmofood began in October 2024, since the beginning of this year they have been able to feed their organic production with RAW.  

“The virtuous collaboration we achieved with Salmofood is truly remarkable. We generated interdisciplinary work where the experience of our companies was coordinated to achieve a common goal: to design the diet, acquire the raw materials, prepare the food and certify it for our organic crops in Chile. The process was a permanent challenge, but together we managed to overcome the obstacles to obtaining the product expected,” emphasizes the professional.

It also highlights the important role played by experts in the areas of quality control, process, certification and nutrition of both companies. “It was a challenging process, but the ability to break paradigms and work as a single team allowed us to conclude successfully, thus marking a milestone in our sector in terms of collaboration, strategic vision and real sustainability for the industry in Chile,” he concludes.