Everyday factors — stress, too little exercise, advancing age and long-running health problems — can push the oxidation process in a pet’s body higher than normal. When free radicals form in excess, cells become vulnerable to damage, the body weakens more quickly, and pets face a higher risk of premature aging. For many owners these changes are hard to spot until they appear as a dull coat, low energy or slower recovery.

Recognising this gap in everyday pet care, Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) approached the problem through its core expertise in shrimp-derived ingredients, where naturally occurring antioxidants can be recovered and put to practical use in a natural astaxanthin for pets.

Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) turns shrimp-derived astaxanthin into AstaPal

AstaPal contains natural astaxanthin sourced from shrimp — a carotenoid singled out for its exceptional antioxidant strength. Thanks to its particular molecular structure, astaxanthin can help neutralise singlet oxygen and free radicals, protect cell membranes, and limit the damage caused by oxidative stress. VNF describes three complementary modes of support in AstaPal: neutralising singlet oxygen and free radicals to help slow oxidation; protecting cells to help limit damage in the brain, eyes, skin, joints and other organs; and supporting overall health by helping maintain energy, focus and vitality.

The antioxidant case for natural astaxanthin is backed by published research. An in vitro study reported that natural astaxanthin was a far stronger antioxidant than several common compounds — roughly 6,000 times that of vitamin C, about 800 times CoQ10, around 560 times EGCG, about 500 times vitamin E, and roughly 50 times synthetic astaxanthin (Capelli, Bagchi & Cysewski, 2013). For Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF), that evidence underlines why a shrimp-derived, natural source of astaxanthin sits at the heart of AstaPal.

Field use across Vietnamese vet clinics points to everyday value

Beyond the laboratory, Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) has used and monitored AstaPal on more than 90 pets across over 20 breeds of dogs and cats, working alongside more than 20 veterinary clinics in Vietnam. The product has been observed in healthy animals as well as pets that were off their food, recovering from injury, or dealing with coat and skin, eye or respiratory concerns. Extracted from shrimp and dosed simply by dropping it directly onto daily food, AstaPal is designed to fit into an ordinary feeding routine rather than a clinical one.

Interest in antioxidants such as astaxanthin is growing as pet owners look for preventive, science-informed nutrition rather than reactive treatment. By recovering a high-value carotenoid from shrimp and channelling it into AstaPal, Vietnam Food Joint Stock Company (VNF) connects its circular-economy work in shrimp by-products to a fast-expanding pet-care market — a reminder that natural astaxanthin for pets can be both a wellness ingredient and an example of turning marine by-products into everyday value.

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.