Understanding and modelling the aquafeed extrusion process for Atlantic salmon feed with an empirical model

An empirical model was applied to quantitatively model the effects of extrusion variables and recipe compositions on quality of feed pellets. Lab extrusion trials were performed with an Atlantic salmon feed recipe with using a central component design (CCD). Comparing with a coated commercial feed made with the same recipe, the lab extrusion pellets had similar bulk density, hardness, and durability properties. A Response Surface Method (RSM) was also used to regress the extrusion trial data and compared with the empirical model results. The respective Absolute Average Deviation (AAD %) values of the empirical model and RSM regression were 4.1 % and 1.8 % for pellet bulk density, 7.4 % and 4.9 % for pellet hardness, 10.4 % and 10.0 % for pellet oil absorption, 13.7 % and 8.3 % for pellet water stability, and 11.3 % and 5.5 % for pellet durability. Using the model coefficients obtained from the extrusion results, the empirical model can partly extrapolate the pellet qualities of an additional extruded recipe, which has a slightly adjusted wheat gluten and wheat. The model performance was evaluated based on. R², RSME (root-mean-square deviation), AAD % of the empirical model was better than the RSM model to predict the effects of extrusion variables on pellet quality parameters. The effects of the extrusion process variables and recipe composition on pellet quality parameters are predicted by the empirical model. Its demonstrates that the empirical model is a new method to understand extrusion trial results in different extrusion systems and recipes without changing its mathematical form of expression, which gives a common reference to compare an extruded recipe in different systems and has practical engineering applications.