About Fish Meal

The world's fish catch is of the order of 75 million tons per year, but only about 1% of  man's food is fish, although 10% of his animal protein intake is fish protein. The fraction of the annual catch used for reduction to fish meal and fish oil is about one third.

The fish meal and oil industry, which started in northern Europe and North America at the beginning of the 19th century, was based mainly on surplus catches of herring from seasonal coastal fisheries. This was essentially an oil production activity; the oil finding industrial uses in leather tanning and in the production of soap and glycerol and other non-food products. The residue was originally used as fertilizer, but since the turn of this century it has been dried and ground into fish meal for animal feeding. In fact, one definition of fish meal is such that it is a solid product, ground , that has been obtained by removing most of the water and some or all of the oil from fish. Its main use is in the diets of poultry, pigs and fish which need higher quality protein than does other farm stock, such as cattle and sheep.

The production of fish meal and fish oil is a sophisticated process requiring considerable skill and experience. The product will meet the commercial and industrial standards only if they are manufactured under hygienic conditions in properly operated an controlled plants.

The fish meal and fish oil industry can make a valuable contribution to human nutrition both directly and indirectly. 

The specifications of fish meal produced at Janatha Fish Meal & Oil Products is mentioned above.