Ocean Fish Meal

Fish meal plants use whole fish caught for meal and oil, plus scraps left after seafood processing. Cooking and pressing recover oil and water. Drying the solids makes a protein ingredient that ships without refrigeration.^4,5

1. 01 // Source Fish or scraps Whole fish or processing leftovers, including heads and frames, arrive at the meal plant.
2. 02 // Process Cooked and pressed Heat firms the protein, then a press separates much of the water and oil from the solids.
3. 03 // Process Dried and milled The pressed solids are dried for storage and ground into a meal with uniform particles.
4. 04 // Output Ocean fish meal A dry protein and mineral ingredient reaches the kibble plant with some fish fat still present.

1. 01

   Adds fish protein

   Removing water and oil concentrates the fish solids. In a senior dog trial, white fish meal replaced poultry by-product meal without changing measured nutrient digestibility.^1,4

2. 02

   Uses seafood leftovers

   Seafood plants can sell trimmings and other unused parts to meal plants instead of discarding them. Whole fish caught for meal and oil also enter this supply chain.^4,5

3. 03

   Adds minerals and flavor

   Fish bones contribute calcium and phosphorus. In a dog preference test, salmon meal with crushed bones was eaten about as readily as a chicken-based control.^2,3

4. 04

   Stores as a dry ingredient

   Pressing and drying make the fish solids easier to store and ship than fresh fish. The plant can weigh the meal directly into a kibble recipe.⁴

How much Dog studies tested 10% salmon meal for preference and 20% white fish meal as a protein replacement; neither sets a usual recipe amount.^1,2

1. Brands say

   Meal supplies concentrated fish protein

   Evidence

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

   Cooking and pressing remove much of the water and oil. Feedipedia's standard fish meal category averages about 71% crude protein on a dry basis. That describes the ingredient, not how much fish protein is in the finished food.^3,4

2. Brands say

   Fish meal works as a main protein

   Evidence

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

   One controlled senior dog trial replaced poultry by-product meal with 20% white fish meal. Measured nutrient digestibility and immune markers did not change. It supports white fish meal in that recipe, not every unnamed fish meal.¹

3. Brands say

   Fish meal makes kibble irresistible

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   In one dog preference experiment, a diet with 10% salmon meal and crushed bones was eaten about as readily as a chicken control. A fish hydrolysate diet was preferred. Fish meal alone does not guarantee better acceptance.²

4. Brands say

   Its omega 3 improves skin and joints

   Outruns the evidence

   Evidence

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

   Fish meal retains some fat, but pressing removes much of the oil. A 12-dog crossover trial changed fish hydrolysate and fish oil together, so its results cannot show a skin or joint benefit from ordinary fish meal.^4,9