Fish products and Byproducts Technology

Unit 9 - Fish meal and fish oil

9.3. Use of fish meal as feed ingredient
Fishmeal as an ingredient is particularly suited to meet the demands of the contemporary food chain. It is a natural and safe product from responsibly managed fisheries with health, welfare and environmental benefits. The aquaculture sector consumed around 56% of world fishmeal production and 87% of total fish oil production in 2006. Other uses are poultry and pigs and other markets (mainly pet food).

• Fishmeal is fed to farm animals, not only to improve productivity, but also to protect health and welfare and reduce dependence on antibiotics and other drugs.
• Fishmeal has low antigenicity, making it easy for young animals to digest. Fishmeal has anti-inflammatory properties which improve animal’s disease resistance
• Fishmeal and fish oil can claim to be the first “functional feeds” – offering, through their high omega-3 content, specific health and welfare benefits to both farmed livestock and to the human population eating the animal products.