Ingredient file // Animal protein
Anchovy And Sardine Meal
Concentrated fish protein, with less oil than expected
Anchovy and sardine meal is cooked, pressed and dried fish ground into a powder. It gives kibble concentrated animal protein and some minerals. Much of the oil leaves during processing, so the name alone promises no useful dose of omega-3 fats.
- What it is
- Cooked, pressed and dried anchovies and sardines ground into a protein-rich meal for animal feed.
- Made from
- Whole anchovies and sardines or their trimmings
- Main job
- Concentrated animal protein
- Typical amount
- Not published
- Watch for
- Dogs with a diagnosed fish allergy
- Not the same as
- Fish oil
Our read // In our catalog
In 1 of every 633 foods we track
Share of foods that list it
0%
4 of the 2,533 foods with an ingredient list on file, from 2 brands. All dry dog food.
Each square is 1% of the catalog
Where it sits on the label
Median position 1. In the top five of 3 foods, so it is usually a main ingredient.
Above the salt
Almost always listed before the salt, so there is more of it than a pinch.
Price per lb
Median of the cheapest bag price across 1 priced foods, 24% below the catalog. The price is the food's, not the ingredient's.
Who leans on it
75%
of the foods that list it are from Holistic Select. 2 brands use it in total.
What it is
How it is made
Fish processors turn small fish into oil and stable feed protein. After cooking, they press out oil and water. Drying the remaining solids makes fish protein easier to store, ship and weigh into kibble.5,8
- 01 // Source Small marine fish Whole anchovies and sardines, or their processing trimmings, enter the fish meal supply chain.
- 02 // Process Cooked Heat firms the fish proteins and releases water and oil before the material reaches a press.
- 03 // Process Pressed The press separates protein-rich solids from liquid that is processed to recover fish oil.
- 04 // Process Dried and milled Processors remove most remaining water, then grind the dry solids into an even meal.
- 05 // Output Fish meal The resulting powder ships as a stable protein ingredient, with some fish fat and minerals still present.
What is in it
Composition, dry matter
68
% protein
An anchovy meal sample reached 68.2% protein; a sardine meal sample contained 63.4%. Protein is the main contribution of either meal.
Why it is in the bag
What the manufacturer gets
-
01
Adds dry fish protein
Pressing and drying remove much of the water and oil, leaving a concentrated protein ingredient that manufacturers can weigh into a kibble recipe.7,8
-
02
Supplies a fish flavor
Fish meal adds a marine taste. In a dog preference test, a diet with salmon meal drew similar intake to the chicken control, so fish flavor is no guarantee for picky dogs.2
-
03
Uses a traded fish supply
Fish meal turns whole small fish and seafood trimmings into a storable feed ingredient. Variable supply, price pressure and demand from aquaculture affect its use.5
How much One 42-day dog trial used 19.08% anchovy meal in a test diet and 28.4% in its control diet; neither amount represents a usual recipe.1
Our read // The claims
What the evidence supports
Strong: controlled studies in dogs agree. Some: small or mixed dog data. Thin: mechanism or lab work only. None: nothing, or the evidence points the other way.
-
Brands say
Fish meal supplies concentrated animal protein
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
Published anchovy and sardine meal samples contained 68.2% and 63.4% protein on a dry matter basis. That makes this a protein ingredient. The figures do not show that its protein outperforms other animal meals.7
-
Brands say
Its omega-3 fats ease joint pain
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A placebo-controlled trial of 77 dogs tested added fish oil, not fish meal, and found no significant difference between groups on its primary pain measures. Pressing removes much of the oil, so the meal name cannot promise a joint-health dose.3,8
-
Brands say
Fish meal makes a food hypoallergenic
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
A review identified fish as a trigger in 5 of 297 dogs with proven food reactions. Ordinary meal contains fish protein; hydrolyzed anchovy protein is processed differently. A recipe containing this meal is not an allergy diet by virtue of its fish source.1,4,5
-
Owners say
Anchovy and sardine meal is high in mercury
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
FDA places both anchovies and sardines among its lower-mercury fish choices for people. That does not test an individual meal lot, but the species names alone are no reason to assume a high mercury load.6
-
Brands say
Fish meal always wins over picky dogs
Outruns the evidence
Evidence
- Strong
- Some
- Thin
- None
In a dog preference test, a diet containing 10% salmon meal drew similar intake to the chicken control. A salmon hydrolysate did better, but it was a different ingredient. No test here shows an anchovy and sardine meal preference.2
Straight answers
What owners ask
-
Q01
Is it just filler?
NoThe published anchovy and sardine meals were mostly protein on a dry matter basis. They also contained fat and mineral ash. The useful question is how much of this meal the recipe includes and what other protein sources sit beside it.7
-
Q02
Is it the same as fish oil?
NoThe fish are pressed to separate oil from the protein-rich solids. Some fat remains in the meal, but the ingredient name gives no EPA or DHA amount. Read the finished food's analysis if those fats matter to you.5,8
-
Q03
Does high ash mean more bone?
OftenAsh measures minerals, and fish meal made with more heads, frames and bones tends to have higher ash and less protein. The bag usually gives no specification for this particular meal, so its name cannot settle that question.5
Who uses it
Brands, best sellers and the company it keeps
Top brands, by foods that list it
Usually listed with, share of the foods that list it
- Chicken Meal 100%
- Chicken Fat 100%
- Chickpeas 75%
- Peas 75%
- Dried Plain Beet Pulp 75%
- Flaxseed 75%
- Pumpkin 50%
- Salmon Oil 50%
- Lentils 25%
- Pork Meal 25%
- Dehydrated Alfalfa Meal 25%
- Cranberries 25%
On the shelf
Foods that list it
4 foods in our reviews list it. Here are some of them.
Our read // On the bag
Count it as fish protein, then check the rest
A high position on the list means this dry meal contributes meaningful fish protein. Check the other leading ingredients, especially separate pea or chickpea entries, and compare the food's protein analysis. For skin or joint claims, look for stated EPA and DHA amounts. Fish meal alone does not supply that proof.
Sources
What we read
Checked October 1, 2026.
- 1 Liquid Hydrolyzed Fish Protein (Anchovy) in the Canine Diet: A Focus on Gut Fermentation and Fecal Quality
- 2 Fish meals, fish components, and fish protein hydrolysates as potential ingredients in pet foods
- 3 An un-commissioned randomized, placebo-controlled double-blind study to test the effect of deep sea fish oil as a pain reliever for dogs suffering from canine OA
- 4 Critically appraised topic on adverse food reactions of companion animals (2): common food allergen sources in dogs and cats
- 5 Fish meal
- 6 Advice about Eating Fish
- 7 Analysis of feeds and fertilizers for sustainable aquaculture development in China
- 8 Fish as feed inputs for aquaculture: practices, sustainability and implications