Mackerel Meal

Fishing and seafood processing supply whole fish and parts left after filleting. Fish meal plants cook and press that wet material, recover much of its oil separately, then dry the solids into a stable feed ingredient.^6,7,8,9

1. 01 // Source Mackerel and parts Whole fish or processing parts bring protein, water and oil to the fish meal plant.
2. 02 // Process Cooked Heat firms the proteins and releases oil and water from the fish tissue.
3. 03 // Process Pressed Pressing removes much of the liquid from the cooked solids; the oil is recovered separately.
4. 04 // Process Dried and milled The remaining solids are dried for storage and ground into a uniform meal.
5. 05 // Output Mackerel meal A dry, ground ingredient supplies concentrated fish protein, minerals and some fat to the kibble plant.

1. 01

   Adds fish protein

   Removing water and much of the oil concentrates the fish solids. One tested mackerel meal was 76.6% crude protein on a dry matter basis.^3,7

2. 02

   Supplies fish flavor

   Dogs ate similar amounts of kibble with 10% salmon meal and a chicken-based control in one preference test. Fish meal adds flavor, but greater preference is not assured.²

3. 03

   Uses available fish material

   Fish meal plants use whole fish and seafood processing parts. FAO reported that by-products supplied 27% of global fishmeal production in 2020; supply still follows fisheries and competing feed demand.^6,8

4. 04

   Adds residual fish fat

   Some oil stays in the pressed meal and carries EPA and DHA. The amount varies, so the ingredient name cannot tell you the finished food's omega-3 content.^3,6,7

How much A senior-dog study tested 20% white fish meal; the cited dog studies give no tested inclusion amount for mackerel meal.¹

1. Brands say

   Meal supplies more protein per pound than fresh mackerel

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   The tested meal was 76.6% protein on a dry matter basis and 92.4% dry matter. FAO's fresh mackerel examples had 15% to 18% protein as sold. Drying largely explains the greater amount per pound.^3,12

2. Brands say

   Fish meal is a digestible protein for dogs

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   A senior-dog trial replaced poultry by-product meal with 20% white fish meal without reducing apparent nutrient digestibility. That supports fish meal as a protein source, but the trial did not test mackerel meal.¹

3. Brands say

   Mackerel meal improves skin and coat

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   A brand diet improved skin scores in 15 of 16 dogs completing a crossover study, but it changed several nutrients and did not test mackerel meal. The meal's fat content gives no finished-food EPA or DHA dose.^3,4,6

4. Brands say

   A mackerel meal food is hypoallergenic

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   In a cohort of 179 atopic dogs, 27 worsened after cod exposure, and serum from 8 dogs recognized mackerel collagen. The study did not test feeding mackerel meal, but fish protein is no basis for a hypoallergenic claim.⁵

5. Owners say

   All mackerel meal is high in mercury

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

   1. Strong
   2. Some
   3. Thin
   4. None

   FDA places Atlantic and Pacific chub mackerel among its lower-mercury fish choices, while king mackerel is among the highest. Those are fish consumption categories, not measurements of a particular meal; the species matters.¹⁰