C-Force, VDS’s flagship product
We continually conduct tests with shrimp in our own R&D facility in Deerlijk. We have been working in this industry for many years and consider the development of qualitative feed for shrimp and fish very important. Thanks to our well-equipped testing installation with eight test tanks, we are able to conduct several successful tests. VDS recently launched C-Force, the result of four years of experiments and tests. Since then, C-Force has been patented and validated worldwide. Find out how we developed this product in this blog.
The ambition to improve shrimp quality
C-Force started with the goal of making the digestive system of shrimp more robust and effective. We want to boost the natural capacities of shrimp so they can absorb nutrients more easily. Their digestive system thus becomes stronger, making it more difficult for pathogens to enter the shrimp through their digestive tract. It goes without saying that these improvements also stimulate their growth. The entire aqua team at VDS endorsed this ambition in 2013. We set to work that same year. We conducted all kinds of tests with promising feed additives. We left nothing to chance, experimenting with various combinations and ratios of acids, fatty acids and salts, as well as herbal extracts, ethereal oils and yeast products.
Our successful growth tests
Any successful test is the merit of a well-equipped R&D unit. Thanks to our own expansive installation, we were able to oversee and control the tests ourselves. For the final C-Force test, the shrimp were subjected to treatments with various combinations of additives and one control treatment. Throughout the testing period, we excluded other important factors to ensure that we could fully attribute the results to the various treatments at the end of this process. We closely monitored a number of water quality parameters, adjusting them in order to obtain the ideal values.
After 55 days of experimentation and monitoring, we were finally able to evaluate the results. The shrimp’s weight (Final Body Weight), survival rate and feed conversion rate (FCR) are important values in this respect. In the table below, we provide a visual representation of the results, compared to the control treatment. The survival rate figures were high, the shrimp grew significantly and the feed conversion rate was much more efficient compared to the control tests.
After 55 days of experimentation and monitoring, we were finally able to evaluate the results. The shrimp’s weight (Final Body Weight), survival rate and feed conversion rate (FCR) are important values in this respect. In the table below, we provide a visual representation of the results, compared to the control treatment. The survival rate figures were high, the shrimp grew significantly and the feed conversion rate was much more efficient compared to the control tests.
C-Force aced the WSSV Challenge Test
The results speak for themselves, showing that the selected additives offer added value, with treatment B as the preferred option. But there still remained important work to do. Shrimp can be exposed to various pathogens during the rearing process. One of the main viral infections is White Spot Syndrome Virus, a deadly viral infection that can kill a population quickly. That is why we examined the resistance of these shrimp as part of the WSSV Challenge Test. Treatment B was determined to be the preferred treatment again. The results have been set out in the table below.
C-Force sailed through the field tests
Launching a new development, invention or product takes time – a lot of time. The many successful experiments were followed by a variety of practical tests. And VDS set out to do so. C-Force was tested on various farms around the world, from the Middle East, to India and Mexico, completing all tests successfully.
A flying start for C-Force
After four years of rigorous testing and experimenting, we proudly launched C-Force in July 2017 at the APA 17 trade show in Malaysia. Our product was patented and validated around the world. Talk about a warm reception…
Why did C-Force get off to such a flying start?
- Healthy digestive system
- Increased growth and more efficient feed conversion
- Decrease of mortality rate thanks to increased resistance against pathogens
