Fish meal is a commercial product derived from fish and its byproducts, primarily used as a high-quality protein supplement in animal feeds. It is produced mainly from pelagic fish and is stable in storage due to its low water content, with major production occurring in countries like Peru and Norway. Fishmeal is valued for its nutritional benefits, including being rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and has been utilized in animal feeding since the 19th century.

2. What is fish meal?
 Fish meal or fishmeal, is a commercial
product made from fish and the bones
and offal from processed fish.
 In the UK the term fish meal means a
product obtained by drying and grinding or
otherwise treating fish or fish waste to
which no other matter has been added.
UK – United Kingdom (England / Great Britain)

3. What raw material is used?
 Any fish or shellfish in the sea can be
used to make fish meal.
 A few rare unexploited species which
would produce a poisonous meal.
 Most of the world’s fish meal is made
from whole fish; the pelagic species
are used most for this purpose.
 Countries with major industrial
fisheries are Peru, Norway and South
Africa.

4. Atypicalfishmealprocessdiagram.
Source: FAO

5. Hygiene in the Factory
Contamination of the material during
processing may seriously affect quality;
microorganisms like Salmonella that may
ultimately cause disease in man have to be
kept out.

6. Storage and transport of fish meal
 Fish meal is not readily spoiled by bacterial
action because of its low water content.
 It has a very small bulk compared to the
fish from which it is made;
 There is no need to refrigerate the meal in
storage.

7. Composition of material during the process.

8. Distribution
 Fish meal has been used as a feedstuff
since the 19th century in Northern
Europe and is now used worldwide.
 Global production of fish meal has been
stable for the past two decades at
around 5 to 6 million tons, Peru and Chile
being the main producers.

9. Advantages of using fishmeal in animal
feeds
 Natural and sustainable, fishmeal provides a
concentrated source of high quality protein
and a fat rich in omega-3 fatty acid, DHA
and EPA.

11. Fish Meal Fish Feed

12. Fish meal is recognized as a valuable
animal protein supplement and a source
of vitamins, minerals and unknown
growth factors.
Fish meals are added to the diet as
high quality supplements to obtain
efficient diets, particularly for
aquaculture & animal feed.