The red yeast Phaffia rhodozyma has possible application as a component of diets for use in aquaculture. Its primary value lies in its content of astaxanthin, which is much higher (5–50 times) than that found in crustacean meals. When fed to rainbow trout, the deposition of astaxanthin in the fish flesh was dependent on the proper preparation of yeast cells before their inclusion into the feed. No astaxanthin was nutritionally available from intact yeast. If P. rhodozyma was mechanically ruptured its pigments were transferred to the flesh of rainbow trout, coloring it salmon-pink. The most efficient deposition of astaxanthin in trout occurred when the cell wall of P. rhodozyma was partially removed by enzymatic digestion. The proxiamte composition, amino acid content, fatty acid profile, and astaxanthin content were determined for P. rhodozyma. When grown under the conditions used in this study, P. rhodozyma has a low protein content (∼25%) and a high total lipid content (∼17%) compared with most other microorganisms.

Phaffia rhodozyma strains are described which produce greater than 3,000 ppm astaxanthin based on dry yeast solids when cultivated in a volume of nutrient medium of at least about 1,500 liters and containing in excess of 4 percent, preferably in excess of 6 percent, dry yeast solids. These and other strains are cultivated by an improved fermentation method comprising extending the maturation phase of the fermentation by one or more various techniques including exposing the yeast cells to a low-intensity light, slow feeding the cells with a rapidly metabolized energy source e.g. glucose, and replacing the rapidly metabolized energy source with a slowly metabolized energy source, e.g. gylcerol. The cells of these strains are incorporated into animal feeds, particularly feeds for salmonid fishes, to impart or enhance the red pigmentation of these animals and products made from these animals.