Fishmeal also provides a valuable outlet to recycle trimmings from the food fish processing sector which would otherwise be dumped at extra cost to the environment and the consumer. Fishmeal processing plant Fishmeal and oil production Fishmeal and oil processing is based on technology that has been developed through most of this century. Each consignment is subject to comprehensive regulatory controls to safeguard its integrity from factory to farm. Raw material quality, heat treatment and separation processes must therefore be well monitored. Fishmeal and fish oil are produced by a continuous process which involves cooking, pressing, drying and milling.
Fishmeal factories use raw material fully.
The following summary is a step by step guide to the production process. This sterilizes the fish, coagulates the proteins and disrupts the cell membranes to facilitate the separation of the solubles and the oil from the dry matter. The cooked raw material is fed to a screw press where much of the liquid is squeezed out to form a presscake which is conveyed to the drier. The latter are removed in a decanter and transported to the drier to be mixed in with the presscake. The liquid from the decanter is fed to separators where the oil is removed and subsequently stored for export.