Global Fishmeal Supply, Production, and Quality Evaluation
A 2025 Mid-Year Industry Insight for Pet Food Manufacturers and Ingredient Buyers
Fishmeal remains one of the world’s most critical animal-protein ingredients, widely used in aquaculture feed, livestock feed, and high-value pet nutrition. As we enter 2025, the global fishmeal market is shaped by shifting resource supply, evolving demand patterns, and increasingly sophisticated quality-control challenges. For pet food manufacturers and ingredient procurement teams, understanding these dynamics is essential for maintaining cost stability, product performance, and formulation consistency.
01
Global Fishmeal Supply–Demand Dynamics in 2025
1. Supply recovery driven by Peru
In the first half of 2025, global raw material used for fishmeal production increased 14% year-over-year. The primary driver is Peru—the world’s most important fishmeal producer—where landings of small pelagic species have significantly improved. Strong anchovy harvests helped accelerate global supply recovery.
2. China remains the largest buyer—but demand is stagnant
In Q1 2025, China absorbed:
- 67% of Peru’s fishmeal exports
- 27% of Peru’s fish oil exports
However, China’s domestic demand has been flat since 2021 due to:
- A policy-driven reduction of 1 million breeding sows, dropping the total to 39 million head
- Slower growth in the aquaculture sector
- Weak pharmaceutical demand for Omega-3
- High port inventories reaching 290,000 tons (≈ four months of consumption)
High inventory directly weakens import motivation and results in more cautious procurement strategies.
3. Prices remain firm despite China’s slowdown
By June 2025, fishmeal prices reached USD 1,600/ton, a 7% increase from January.
This reflects resilient global demand—even with China’s lower consumption—supported by other regions efficiently absorbing new supply.
02
Fishmeal Sources and Production Processes
2.1 Diverse Raw Material Sources
Fishmeal can be produced from multiple raw materials, each with distinct nutritional characteristics:
Marine species (anchovy, sardine, mackerel)
- Major source of high-quality fishmeal
- Naturally rich in balanced amino acids
- High digestibility
Processing by-products (whitefish trimmings, filleting waste)
- Often used for white fishmeal
- Characterised by high protein quality and lighter colour
Mixed fish–shrimp materials
- Widely used in regional production
- Quality varies depending on freshness and mixture ratio
Raw material selection heavily influences:
- Crude protein content
- Digestibility
- Fat content
- Palatability factors
- Oxidation stability
Understanding source characteristics is key for quality assessment and procurement.
2.2 A Complex but Critical Production Process
Steam-dried fishmeal production involves several technologically sensitive steps:
1. Cooking
Temperature and time control affect:
- Protein denaturation
- Amino acid retention
- Initial pathogen kill-step
2. Pressing
Determines:
- Efficiency of oil separation
- Final fishmeal fat content
- Moisture levels prior to drying
3. Drying
Low-temperature, multi-stage drying helps prevent:
- Nutrient degradation
- Oxidation and discoloration
- Formation of burnt flavours
4. Grinding, sieving, packaging
Equipment performance—cookers, presses, centrifuges, dryers—directly affects finished quality consistency.
For pet food manufacturers, stable particle size and oxidation control are especially important for ensuring compatibility with extrusion lines and palatant adhesion.
03
Comprehensive Quality Evaluation of Fishmeal
3.1 Classification & Naming Systems
Fishmeal classification varies by:
1. Fish species / body part
- White fishmeal – high purity, derived from cod, haddock trimmings
- Red fishmeal – derived from whole fish species other than whitefish
2. Processing method
- Super steam-dried (SD) fishmeal
- Conventional steam-dried fishmeal
- Direct-fired dried fishmeal (lower quality, higher oxidation risk)
3. Market naming conventions
Names reflect quality expectations, fat content, colour, and source.
Failing to understand classification may lead to misjudgment during procurement, especially when distinguishing between high-grade formulas vs. standard inclusion levels.
3.2 Authenticity Identification: Combating Adulteration
Adulteration in fishmeal is a long-standing challenge. Common adulterants include:
- Feather meal
- Leather meal
- Protein concentrates
- Plant-based fillers
- Excess ash or sand
Two common adulteration strategies:
Low-end adulteration
Large amounts of fake ingredients with minimal real fishmeal/oil—easy to detect.
High-end adulteration
Small-scale ingredient manipulation to keep testing values within acceptable ranges—much harder to detect.
Multi-method authentication is essential:
1. Sensory & microscopic examination
- Check colour uniformity
- Smell for abnormal odors (burnt, moldy, chemical)
- Microscope inspection for foreign particles
2. Chemical qualitative tests
For example:
- Iodine–potassium iodide solution to check plant material adulteration
- Detection of lignin, starch, or specific proteins
3. NIR (Near-Infrared) spectroscopy
- Rapid, non-destructive identification
- Effective for detecting subtle adulteration
4. Amino acid profiling
Highly effective for verifying:
- Essential amino acid balance
- Lysine/Methionine levels
- Total 17-amino-acid content vs. crude protein ratio
Abnormal proportions often indicate adulteration or poor-quality raw materials.
3.3 Evaluating Freshness: A Critical Quality Dimension
1. Sensory methods
Experienced evaluators rely on:
- Smell: freshness vs. rancidity
- Colour: natural vs. oxidized brown
- Taste: bitterness or off-notes
Though subjective, this remains a practical frontline screening method.
2. Protein freshness: VBN & biogenic amines
- VBN (Volatile Basic Nitrogen) indicates protein decomposition
- Influenced by preservatives and additives
- Not always fully reliable alone
3. Biogenic amines
More accurate for assessing spoilage level and protein integrity.
4. Fat oxidation indicators
Rancidity is a critical concern for pet food manufacturers because oxidized fats:
- Reduce palatability
- Degrade aroma
- Shorten product shelf life
Key indicators include:
- Peroxide value (POV)
- Anisidine value (AV)
- TOTOX (POV × 2 + AV)
Low oxidation levels are essential for high-palatability pet food and stable palatant performance.
Final Thoughts for B2B Pet Food Buyers
Understanding global supply shifts, raw material origins, production processes, and multi-dimensional quality evaluation is essential for:
- Pet food manufacturers
- Pet food palatant suppliers
- Ingredient traders
- Feed factories
Fishmeal remains a premium animal-protein ingredient. In 2025, procurement strategies must consider not only price and supply risk but also authenticity, freshness, oxidation stability, and suitability for high-performance pet nutrition.
If you need help evaluating fishmeal performance in palatant applications or dry pet food extrusion, I can also create a detailed buyer’s guide tailored for profypet.com.
