Feedactiv Project

📢 FEEDACTIV Final Meeting | Istanbul, Türkiye | 12–13 October 2026

The FEEDACTIV project is reaching an important milestone with its Final Meeting and MSCA Clustering Event, hosted by Istanbul Technical University (ITU) and co-organised with the BEE-TECH MSCA Staff Exchanges project.

Over two days, partners will present project outcomes, exchange knowledge, explore scientific synergies and identify opportunities for future collaboration under Horizon Europe MSCA Staff Exchanges.

🤝 A great opportunity to connect, share achievements and build new collaborations beyond FEEDACTIV!

📍 Istanbul, Türkiye
📅 12–13 October 2026
🏛️ Istanbul Technical University (ITU)
🤝 FEEDACTIV × BEE-TECH

🐟 The future of aquaculture feed is becoming more functional.

As aquaculture continues to evolve, nutrition is playing an increasingly important role in supporting fish health, immunity and resilience.

🌱 From phytogenics and seaweed-derived compounds to probiotics and other bioactive ingredients, new approaches are shaping the development of more functional and sustainable feeds.

🔬 This is closely aligned with the FEEDACTIV approach — exploring natural bioactive compounds of marine and herbal origin for innovative functional fish feed.

👉 Read the full article:
https://www.mispeces.com/en/news/Functional-feeds-move-towards-precision-nutrition-in-fish/

Functional feeds move towards precision nutrition in fish Global, 10 July 2026 | Probiotics, beta-glucans, yeast derivatives, phytogenics, organic acids, enzymes and seaweed metabolites are gaining attention as tools to support gut health, immunity and disease resistance in aquaculture

🐟 New scientific insights into European seabass hematology

How reliable and comparable are hematological measurements in European seabass?

A new review published in Fishes MDPI explores how sampling conditions, analytical procedures and biological factors can influence hematological results, with implications for aquaculture research and fish health monitoring.

The review also highlights key methodological challenges in interpreting parameters such as RBC, WBC, hemoglobin and hematocrit.

📖 Read the full review to discover the key considerations for more reliable hematological assessment in European seabass.

🔗 https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes11090512

🔬 Strengthening research collaboration for functional aquafeeds !

As part of the FEEDACTIV Horizon Europe MSCA Staff Exchanges project, we are pleased to highlight the successful secondment of Konstantina Krezou from the University of Messina (UNIME) at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA).

During her secondment, Konstantina contributed to the evaluation of encapsulated bioactive ingredients for functional fish-feed applications, investigating their suitability for feed formulations, stability, release behaviour and bioactivity.

Through experimental work and close collaboration with the host research team, the secondment supported the development of knowledge and approaches towards innovative and functional aquaculture feeds. 🐟🌱

🤝 FEEDACTIV continues to foster knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary collaboration and research excellence across Europe.

🐟 Advancing functional aquafeeds through innovative encapsulation!

A new study published in Aquaculture Nutrition explores the use of ulvan–lecithin microparticles to encapsulate eucalyptus essential oil (EEO) for functional aquafeed applications.

The research investigates how this innovative delivery system can:

🔬 Improve the stability and retention of bioactive compounds
🧬 Enable controlled release under simulated gastrointestinal conditions
🌱 Enhance the oxidative, nutritional and technological stability of aquafeed pellets
♻️ Harness a marine-derived biopolymer from Ulva as an encapsulation matrix

The findings highlight the potential of ulvan–lecithin microencapsulation as a promising approach for developing more stable and functional aquafeeds, while further in vivo and scale-up studies are needed.

👉 Interested in the future of sustainable and functional aquaculture? Read the full article and discover the research behind this innovative approach!

🔗 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/anu/3902818

Ulvan Microparticles for Encapsulation of Eucalyptus Essential Oil: Characterization, Release Behavior, and Stability in Aquafeeds Ulvan–lecithin microstructures were developed as a delivery platform for eucalyptus essential oil (EEO) in functional aquafeeds to improve phytobiotic retention, modulate gastrointestinal release, an...

🐟 Advancing functional fish feed through research and collaboration!

As part of the FEEDACTIV MSCA Staff Exchanges project, Regina Aparo from the University of Messina (UNIME) successfully completed her secondment at NTUA.

During her stay, she contributed to the development and evaluation of spray-dried Spirulina extract encapsulated in a modified-starch matrix, exploring its potential for functional fish-feed applications.

Her work included spray-drying optimisation, physicochemical characterisation, bioactive compound retention and stability assessment, contributing to the development of innovative and sustainable feed solutions for aquaculture.

🤝 A successful exchange fostering research, knowledge transfer and international collaboration!

🔬 Knowledge exchange in action!

As part of the FEEDACTIV MSCA Staff Exchanges programme, Giuseppa Scarfì from the University of Messina (UNIME) completed a successful secondment at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA).

During her stay, she contributed to the development of functional fish feed based on marine and herbal bioactive compounds, while fostering scientific collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation in sustainable aquaculture.

Thank you to all partners for making this secondment a success!

Reducing antibiotic use in aquaculture is one of the key challenges for sustainable fish farming — and it starts with what's in the feed.
FEEDACTIV develops functional fish feeds enriched with bioactive compounds drawn from marine organisms and medicinal herbs. The aim is to support fish health and immunity naturally, lowering dependence on antibiotics while keeping aquaculture productive and sustainable.
With 8 partners across Greece, Romania and Italy — and recognition as an official MSCA Success Story — it's a project we're proud to be part of. 🐟
Discover more 👉 feedactiv.eu

🐟 Proud to share a key milestone from the FEEDACTIV project: we've successfully developed and evaluated functional fish feed formulations enriched with natural bioactive compounds of marine and herbal origin.
Through our research, we incorporated phytobiotic ingredients — including olive leaf extract, eucalyptus essential oil, lemon peel extract, and algae — into aquafeeds, assessing their stability, functionality, and sustainability.
A central focus was the comparison between direct addition and encapsulation of the bioactive compounds. Our results showed that encapsulation can notably improve the stability of sensitive ingredients, limiting oxidation and better preserving their antioxidant activity.
In parallel, using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC), we evaluated the environmental and economic footprint of different production scenarios. A key finding: improving the Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) can lead to lower environmental impacts per kg of fish produced.
A meaningful step toward more sustainable and functional aquaculture. 🌊

What if the future of sustainable seafood started not in the ocean, but in the feed factory?
A new feature on Știință cu sare și piper takes a deep dive into FEEDACTIV — an EU-funded project transforming algae, Mediterranean herbs, and agri-food by-products into next-generation fish feed additives. Researchers from Greece, Italy, and Romania are working together to develop bioactive-enriched feeds that boost fish health and help aquaculture move away from routine antibiotic use.
From green extraction and encapsulation to real-farm trials across Southern Europe, the article walks through the science behind the innovation — and why it matters for the future of food.
🔗 Read the full article: https://stiintacusaresipiper.ro/2026/03/23/feedactiv/

FEEDACTIV | Știință cu sare și piper European Researchers turn algae, herbs and agri-food by-products into Sustainable Fish Feed: Inside FEEDACTIV’s Green Innovation