Researchers from the Department of Horticulture at Lovely Professional University (LPU), Phagwara, Punjab, have published a review highlighting the potential of fruit peel waste as a sustainable ingredient in aquaculture feed. The paper, titled “Fruit Peel Waste: A Sustainable Food Source for Fish Culture,” appears in World Development Sustainability (Elsevier, 2025).
Authored by Aditi Thakur, Dr. Amit Kotiyal, and Joshi Thoudam, the review examines how nutrient-rich peels from fruits such as citrus, banana, and mango could serve as cost-effective substitutes for conventional feed ingredients like fishmeal and soybean meal. The authors report that fruit peel residues offer valuable nutrients that may improve fish growth, feed efficiency, and disease resistance.
The study also outlines environmental and economic benefits, noting that repurposing agricultural waste supports circular economy principles and aligns with global sustainability goals. The researchers identify several gaps requiring further investigation, including detailed biochemical profiling, improved processing methods for digestibility, safety assessments for contaminants, large-scale economic trials, and development of regulatory guidelines for aquafeed use.
According to the authors, the findings demonstrate how agricultural by-products can be converted into high-value resources for aquaculture, potentially strengthening rural bioeconomies and reducing environmental pressures associated with conventional feed production.
Lovely Professional University, established in 2005, is a private institution in Punjab offering a wide range of on-campus and distance education programmes.
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