Efficiency of fishmeal and fish oil processing of different pelagic fish species: Identification of processing steps for potential optimization toward protein production for human consumption

Most fish meal and fish oil production facilities run with outdated processes, producing low-value products, typically not intended for human consumption. The aim of the study was to perform a detailed analysis of the current fishmeal and oil production processes of capelin (Mallotus villosus), and compare the key locations of both fattier and leaner pelagic raw material to identify which steps need to be improved for the production of higher-value products. Results indicated inefficient draining and concentration during the production process and ineffective break-down of the raw material, as lipid separation was ineffective in all studied species. Although the raw material initially differed in lipid content (2%–20%, depending on the species), all fishmeal produced resulted in high-lipid fishmeal (9%–14%). Chemical composition variations in the solid steams entering the dryers suggested that drying these streams individually could lead to more process and product flexibility, which can result in higher-value products, such as fish meal and protein powders for human consumption. Practical applications: Traditional production lines of fishmeal and fish oil factories have remained the same for decades, resulting in low-quality products with a low market price. Therefore, optimization and redesign of the production processes are needed to increase the product quality. This study analyzed the lipid quality and water content in all processing steps. The current evaluations will help to shift the traditional fishmeal and fish oil production process from low-quality to high-quality products intended for human consumption by presenting a detailed analysis of the production process not available in the literature to date. Our results can act as reference values for other fishmeal and fish oil producers to assess their production quality. That includes identification of bottlenecks affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of their production processes.