Across many farming regions, cultivated land is becoming increasingly depleted and degraded, a decline that feeds directly into lower crop yields and poorer produce quality. When the soil loses its structure and its living microbial balance, plants struggle to take up nutrients and hold water, and farmers face rising costs to keep output stable.

Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) approaches this problem by focusing on two levers that are often overlooked: restoring balance to the soil’s microbial community and returning organic nutrients to the ground. The company sees the combination of shrimp protein and indigenous microorganisms as a practical route to rebuilding soil fertility rather than simply adding more chemical inputs.

Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) combines shrimp protein with indigenous microbes in a three-part biological system

At the centre of VNF‘s biological soil improvement solutions are three complementary products. Ecovital EM is a biological preparation containing Bacillus spp. together with 2,000 indigenous microbial strains; these microbes compete with pathogens for nutrients and living space and form a biological gel that makes the soil looser, more porous and better able to retain water.

PeptiBlossom, a hydrolysed shrimp protein, supplies peptides and amino acids that feed these microorganisms, driving stronger microbial activity and improving both soil structure and fertility. ChitoBlossom, based on chitosan and its derivatives, chelates minerals to raise nutrient uptake, increases soil porosity, and forms a protective biofilm around plant roots. Together, the three products of Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) work as a system — feeding the soil, activating its microbes, and protecting the root zone.

Field trials and international research support the approach

Evidence for the approach comes from both local trials and international studies. In a trial at Xuân Lộc, Đồng Nai, combining Ecovital EM with organic matter tripled the density of cellulose-decomposing microorganisms and raised the level of readily available nitrogen by close to two times. An international study conducted between Germany and Iran on dry loam soil found that chitosan markedly improved soil structure, increased usable water retention, and stimulated microbial activity — reinforcing the role of ChitoBlossom within VNF‘s system.

What began as shrimp processing by-products — heads and shells once treated as waste — has been turned by Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) into biological soil improvement solutions that leave soil looser, richer in nutrients, and better able to support healthy crops. The wider significance is a circular-economy model in which a coastal seafood industry’s residues become inputs for more sustainable farming, an example of how Vietnamese companies can add value along the whole agricultural chain through biotechnology.

Pet food formulators face growing demand for palatability, digestive support and health benefits drawn from natural sources rather than synthetic additives. At the same time, shrimp processing generates large volumes of heads, shells and by-products that, if left unused, add cost and environmental pressure. This combination — a need for high-value functional ingredients and a stream of under-used raw material — is the gap that Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) set out to address in the pet nutrition market.

Building on positive results achieved since 2025, VNF returned to Thailand to meet customers and partners and to continue promoting shrimp-based functional ingredients derived from Vietnamese shrimp in the food and pet nutrition industries.

Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) presents shrimp-based functional ingredients at an expanded Pet Workshop

The highlight of the trip was a Pet Workshop that Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) co-organized with strategic partner CF Chem (Cinnamon Group of Company). Following the success of the earlier program, this edition was expanded in scale, drawing more than 40 R&D and technical experts from the pet nutrition industry. Participants discussed market needs, challenges in product development and the potential to apply shrimp-based solutions in Thailand.

At the workshop, VNF introduced three functional ingredients from Vietnamese shrimp. Shrimp Peptide enhances natural palatability and supports digestion. Chitosan helps control phosphate absorption and maintain kidney health. Astaxanthin acts as an antioxidant and supports immunity. In addition, RetriV was presented as a solution that recovers nutrients from production wastewater, helping pet food manufacturers reduce the burden of wastewater treatment while creating additional value from otherwise lost nutrients.

Shrimp-based functional ingredients open new value for regional pet nutrition and the circular economy

As sustainability shapes purchasing across the food and feed industries, ingredients that combine functional performance with responsible sourcing are increasingly in demand. By turning shrimp by-products into Shrimp Peptide, Chitosan, Astaxanthin and recovered nutrients through RetriV, Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) offers pet nutrition manufacturers a route to differentiated products and a lower environmental footprint at the same time.

VNF thanked CF Chem and its representatives — Ekachai Laohaphand, Jiraphan Sanongsuk, Duangkamon Thuppaman and Wareerak Paralux — for their partnership in connecting, preparing and hosting the program, and thanked the customers, partners and experts who took part.

Beyond a single event, the workshop reflects a broader shift in which shrimp-based functional ingredients from Vietnam move deeper into regional and global value chains. It shows how a circular-economy approach — recovering value from what was once treated as waste — can support both product innovation and sustainability across the pet nutrition industry.

Shrimp, rice and coffee are three flagship sectors of Vietnamese agriculture, but they are confronting pressure over emissions, resource use and the increasingly strict sustainability requirements of export markets. Processing and cultivation across these chains generate large volumes of by-products that, if not handled effectively, raise costs and add to environmental burden.

A circular economy offers a way forward by adding value to by-products, cutting emissions and using resources more efficiently. It was this shared challenge that brought together research institutions, businesses and development organisations to launch a joint initiative for the shrimp, rice and coffee sectors.

Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) signs a cross-sector MoU on circular economy

On 9 July 2026 in Ca Mau, Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Rikolto International, the Vietnam Sustainable Shrimp Alliance (VSSA), Tay Nguyen University, Leanwares Corporation and the Institute for Circular Economy Development (ICED) to promote a cross-sectoral circular economy across the shrimp, rice and coffee industries in the Mekong Delta and the Central Highlands.

The signing took place within a workshop co-organised by Rikolto International and the Delegation of the European Union in Vietnam, launching the initiative “Promoting cross-sectoral circular economy for the sustainable development of the shrimp, rice and coffee sectors in the Mekong Delta and the Central Highlands, Vietnam.” Under the Memorandum of Understanding, the parties will jointly conduct research, share knowledge, connect resources and develop circular economy models.

VNF said it will draw on its R&D and manufacturing strengths in processing and shrimp by-product valorization, while developing applications for soil improvement, crop nutrition, disease prevention and crop preservation — helping to expand circular economy models across the shrimp industry and neighbouring value chains.

Circular economy opens new value for Vietnam’s shrimp, rice and coffee chains

The initiative is designed to strengthen cooperation among research organisations, businesses, regulators and farming communities, building a circular economy ecosystem that raises the value of agricultural products and supports green growth. By valorizing by-products from the shrimp industry and other chains, the model seeks to lift value across the whole supply chain while easing environmental pressure.

Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) expressed its thanks to Rikolto International, the Delegation of the European Union in Vietnam and its partners for accompanying the initiative and working to bring circular economy solutions into practice. As sustainability moves from a market expectation to a competitive requirement, cross-sector collaboration of this kind shows how Vietnamese agriculture can turn by-products into value and take a deeper role in global sustainable value chains.

Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) was honored to welcome the interns of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council – Private Sector Development Committee IV for a visit and exchange at our company.

With its role in researching, advising, and proposing policies on the private economy, while promoting public-private dialogue and connecting businesses with the policymaking process, Committee IV also focuses on nurturing the next generation through its internship program.

During the meeting, Ms. Phạm Thị Ngọc Thủy, Director of Committee IV, shared that Vietnam’s development strategy should be built on the country’s core strengths, among which agriculture plays an important role.

This perspective is also aligned with VNF’s approach to agricultural development: focusing on research and development of solutions that add value to shrimp co-products, contributing to the effective use of local resources and expanding practical applications for Vietnamese agriculture.

During the exchange, VNF shared how R&D activities help transform shrimp co-products into products serving agriculture, food, pet care, and water treatment. This is also an example of how innovation and circular economy thinking can help make better use of available resources.

Through these practical stories, VNF hopes to open a perspective for young people: innovation does not always have to begin with grand ideas. It can start by looking back at available resources and creating new value from them.

VNF sincerely thanks Committee IV for creating the opportunity for the company to accompany the program and meet the interns. We wish the students many meaningful experiences on their learning journey, as they continue nurturing new ideas and contributing to Vietnam’s development.

Many owners judge their pet’s health by one thing — whether it finishes the bowl. As long as the animal eats, everything is assumed to be fine. Yet appetite alone is a narrow measure. A coat that has lost its shine, stools that vary from one day to the next, small shifts in weight, or the odd refused meal can all appear while a pet is still, on the surface, eating normally.

These signs are easy to dismiss and easy to miss. Refusing food, in particular, is often read as fussiness when it can be the body reacting to a diet that no longer suits it. Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) frames the issue plainly: a ration that once fit a pet does not stay right forever, and the earliest evidence of that mismatch tends to be subtle.

Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) turns everyday observation into a pet-nutrition habit through Tôm Chuyên Gia

Through the “Tôm Chuyên Gia” (Shrimp Expert) program, hosted by Dr. Ngô Hồng Phượng, VNF encourages owners to watch a handful of everyday indicators — coat condition, stool consistency, body weight and appetite — and to treat them as a running read on pet nutrition. A pet’s body changes over time, and when its diet does not keep pace, the first evidence usually shows up in exactly these small signals.

The practical message from VNF is to check regularly and adjust deliberately. Has the coat grown duller lately? Is the stool genuinely stable from one day to the next? Has the ration gone unreviewed for a long stretch? Asking these questions turns vague worry into specific observation, and specific observation into a diet that can be corrected before problems set in. Rather than reacting only once a pet is visibly unwell, owners learn to respond to the earliest cues.

Reading body signals reshapes how owners approach pet nutrition

The shift Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) is describing is one from feeding by routine to feeding by observation. Instead of assuming a fixed ration is permanently correct, owners are invited to see pet nutrition as something that evolves alongside the animal.

That approach mirrors a wider move across pet care toward preventive, evidence-led nutrition, where subtle body signals guide decisions long before a clinic visit is needed. By making these signals easier to read, VNF and its “Tôm Chuyên Gia” program point owners toward a more attentive, more responsive standard of pet nutrition — one built on watching closely and adjusting in time.

The gut is one of the most influential systems in an animal’s body. Research suggests that around 70% of the immune system resides in the intestine, and that the gut produces most of the body’s serotonin — the hormone associated with feelings of wellbeing. In other words, the digestive tract is closely tied to how a pet defends itself against illness and how it feels day to day.

When the gut loses its balance, the consequences reach well beyond digestion. Pets may become prone not only to digestive upsets but also to weakened immunity, poorer nutrient absorption, and a gradual decline in overall health. For pet owners, gut health is therefore best understood as a foundation for long-term wellbeing rather than a narrow digestive concern. Recognising this, Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) turned to shrimp raw material as a source of bioactive ingredients that can address the problem at its root.

Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) pairs shrimp-derived Peptides with Chitosan to act on three fronts

From shrimp raw material, Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) developed its Peptides & Chitosan duo to support pet gut health through three main mechanisms. Peptides provide an easily absorbed source of hydrolysed protein that helps optimise digestion and limit the formation of harmful substances in the gut. Chitosan, in turn, helps balance the microbiome, keep harmful bacteria in check, and strengthen the protective barrier of the intestinal lining.

Scientific literature points to the combined value of the two ingredients. In studies on dogs and cats, Chitosan was reported to increase beneficial bacteria by up to 18 times, reduce harmful bacteria by up to 70%, and cut damage to the gut barrier by nearly 50%. In a separate study, Peptides supported a 50% rise in antibodies and improved immune-activating cytokines by up to 200% — contributing to better gut health and stronger overall health in pets.

Gut-focused nutrition points to healthier pets overall

Taken together, these findings show that Peptides & Chitosan act not only within the gut but also help improve a pet’s overall health, working through three foundations: a balanced microbiome, a reinforced intestinal barrier, and optimised digestion. As pet owners increasingly look for nutrition backed by evidence, ingredients that support the gut are moving to the centre of how the industry thinks about animal wellbeing.

With more than a decade of experience developing shrimp-derived biological ingredients, Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) continues to pursue science-based nutrition solutions aimed at sustainable pet health. Readers can explore more in-depth content on shrimp-derived nutrition solutions such as Peptides and Chitosan on the VNF website.

In modern animal production, egg yolk colour, meat and skin colour, and the vividness of ornamental fish directly affect commercial value. To meet these targets, many producers turn to synthetic pigment additives, but this increases dependence on chemical inputs and offers limited antioxidant benefit for the animals themselves. Demand is therefore growing for a natural pigment source that is safe and carries additional functional value.

Against this backdrop, Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) develops NaturXanthin, a natural astaxanthin extracted from Vietnamese shrimp raw material, offering an alternative to synthetic additives.

Vietnam Food applies natural astaxanthin with a dual functional value

VNF‘s NaturXanthin is positioned around two core functions. The first is antioxidant capacity: astaxanthin is reported to scavenge free radicals about 21 times more strongly and to quench singlet oxygen about 50 times more strongly than the synthetic form, helping protect cells and support immunity and growth in animals. The second is pigmentation: thanks to its natural origin, high biocompatibility and ability to bind to various proteins, the natural astaxanthin in NaturXanthin supports the formation of natural red pigment in meat, skin and eggs.

Developing the product from shrimp raw material also allows Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) to make use of a carotenoid-rich by-product stream, adding value to the shrimp value chain.

Animal trials show improvements in colour and growth

The performance of NaturXanthin has been observed in field trials. In laying ducks in Malaysia, supplementing NaturXanthin raised yolk colour scores by more than 14 points; yolk colour was better retained after processing and oxidation was limited during the storage of salted eggs. In Koi fish in Vietnam, the supplemented group showed red coloration more than 40% higher than the control group, alongside clear improvements in growth and survival rate.

According to Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF), these results indicate that natural astaxanthin can enhance the sensory value of end products while also supporting animal health.

Developing NaturXanthin from Vietnamese shrimp reflects a broader industry shift: moving from synthetic additives toward biological solutions that valorise by-products, linking better product quality with sustainable production and the circular economy.

Overuse of chemical pesticides in farming brings a chain of consequences: residues on produce, degradation of soil microbial life, and health risks for both growers and consumers. The need for a biological crop protection solution that is effective yet environmentally friendly is therefore growing urgent. At the same time, Vietnam’s shrimp-processing industry generates large volumes of shrimp heads and shells each year; left unused, they are both an environmental burden and a waste of valuable chitin.

Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) turns shrimp by-products into crop-protecting ChitoBlossom (Chitosan)

Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) has chosen to extract value from shrimp by-products through biotechnology. From chitin — a natural derivative found in crustaceans, insects, fungi and algae — the company extracts and refines ChitoBlossom (Chitosan), an active ingredient with four notable functions: antifungal and antibacterial action, gel- and film-forming, coagulation and complex-forming, and biostimulation for crops.

In terms of mechanism, ChitoBlossom (Chitosan) works on two levels. On stems and leaves, chitosan disrupts the cell-wall structure of fungi and bacteria through electrostatic interaction, while forming a film that blocks pathogen development. In the root zone, it directly inhibits nematode activity, promotes beneficial soil microorganisms, activates the plant’s natural defense system, and helps crops resist oxidation and stress. In short, chitosan does not merely kill pathogens — it “trains” plants to defend themselves.

Trial results point to potential for replacing chemical pesticides

According to trials conducted by Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF), on Dai Thom 8 rice, spraying Oligochitosan twice at the heading stage reduced the rate of dirty-panicle (grain-spotting) infection by about 17% compared with the control — on par with a commercial product but more cost-efficient. For nematode control, the Kito-Nim preparation delivered over 80% eradication efficacy after 48 hours.

These results suggest that chitosan derivatives such as ChitoBlossom (Chitosan), Oligochitosan and Kito-Nim can control pests while nourishing the soil ecosystem — something chemical pesticides struggle to achieve at once. VNF says similar trials are being expanded across durian, rice and vegetable crops.

From shrimp by-products to sustainable agriculture The story of Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) points to a direction for modern agriculture: turning a discarded by-product into a “biological shield” for crops. As biological crop protection gradually replaces conventional chemicals, farmers gain another option for healthier plants, microbe-rich soil and safer produce — contributing to sustainable farming and to the circular economy of Vietnam’s shrimp industry.