fish meal

fish meal, coarsely ground powder made from the cooked flesh of fish. Though formerly important as a fertilizer, fish meal is now primarily used in animal feed—especially for poultry, swine, mink, farm-raised fish, and pets. Certain species of oily fish, such as menhaden, anchovy, herring, and pilchard, are the main source of fish meal and its companion product, fish oil.

To be processed into meal, chopped fish is forced by screw conveyor through long steam cookers. The cooked mash is then pressed to remove water and oil (which quickly spoils during storage). The pressed fish cakes are dried by hot air, yielding a meal that is high in vitamin B₁₂ and contains as much as 50 percent protein.