How buyers define requirements
- State the grade you need (standard, prime, super-prime, LT / low-temperature) and the species or origin group.
- Define the digestibility expectation, not just crude protein — LT meals command a premium for a reason.
- Specify the antioxidant type and dose, and whether ethoxyquin is permitted in the destination market.
- Fix maximum age at shipment; freshness parameters degrade in storage even in good conditions.
- Confirm whether the destination requires a veterinary health certificate and an approved-establishment number.
- State whether by-product or whole-fish raw material is acceptable, the fishery or species origin you need, and how the supplier will cover volumes if a fishing season closes.
Specifications that matter
| Parameter | Typical requirement | Why it matters to a buyer |
|---|---|---|
| Crude protein | 62–68% | Grade definition and the basis of price adjustment. |
| TVN (total volatile nitrogen) | ≤ 120 mg/100 g | The main raw-material freshness indicator; high TVN signals decomposed feedstock. |
| Histamine | ≤ 500–1,000 ppm by grade | Biogenic amine associated with gizzard erosion and reduced performance. |
| Free fatty acids | ≤ 7–10% | Oil hydrolysis indicator; predicts rancidity development in storage. |
| Peroxide value / TBARS | Low and antioxidant-protected | Oxidative status; drives palatability and vitamin destruction in the finished feed. |
| Fat | 6–11% | Energy contribution and oxidation exposure. |
| Moisture | ≤ 10% | Microbial and self-heating risk above the limit. |
| Ash / salt / sand | ≤ 16% / ≤ 3% / ≤ 1% | Detects mineral dilution and adulteration. |
| Salmonella | Absent in 25 g | Legal requirement in most import markets. |
- — GMP+ B2 or equivalent feed-safety certification for the producing plant
- — MarinTrust (formerly IFFO RS) factory certificate — site, scope and expiry — where responsible sourcing is required, plus MarinTrust chain of custody when buying through a trader
- — Approved-establishment listing for the destination market's veterinary authority
- — MSC or fishery-specific chain of custody where the customer demands traceable origin
- — Dolphin-safe / by-catch declarations where relevant to the end market
- — Certificate of Analysis per lot including TVN, histamine, FFA and antioxidant residual
- — Salmonella certificate with the sampling plan and laboratory accreditation
- — Veterinary health certificate matching the exact lot and container numbers
- — Heavy metals (cadmium, mercury, lead, arsenic) and dioxin/PCB screening
- — Independent surveyor sampling report — composite sampling, not a single grab
- — 50 kg or 25 kg PP bags with an inner liner for moisture control
- — Big bags for mechanised plants; confirm the liner and UV rating
- — Bulk only where the receiving plant has closed intake and rapid turnover
- — Bag marking must carry lot, production date and antioxidant declaration
- — Self-heating cargo: confirm IMDG/IMSBC classification and required antioxidant certification before booking
- — Ventilated containers or ventilated stow, and temperature monitoring on long routes
- — Avoid prolonged tropical port dwell; oxidation and histamine formation accelerate with heat
- — Insure against heat damage explicitly — standard cover may exclude inherent vice
- — Cool, dry, ventilated storage away from direct sun and heat sources
- — Restrict pile height to limit self-heating and monitor internal temperature
- — Use within 6 months of production where possible; retest freshness parameters before long storage
- — Keep retained samples and re-test TVN and peroxide value before use in sensitive diets
Procurement risks
Control: Define TVN and histamine limits at discharge, not at production, and appoint an independent surveyor.
Control: Confirm the destination's residue rules before booking and place import-conformity risk on the seller.
Control: Ash, salt, sand and microscopy checks, plus first-order testing from any new supplier.
Control: Antioxidant certification, correct declaration and monitored stowage.
Control: Staged coverage and index-linked contracts rather than single large spot commitments.
- — Buying on crude protein alone and ignoring TVN, histamine and FFA
- — Accepting production-date analysis for a cargo that will be tested three months later
- — Overlooking whether the plant is listed for the destination's veterinary import rules
- — Storing high-fat meal in hot warehouses and then blaming performance on formulation
- — Skipping microscopy on the first lot from a new supplier
Marine ingredient supply: what IFFO and MarinTrust reported in 2026
Each point quotes the original source, with its date and the period it covers. Confirmed data, member-based reports, forecasts and speakers' views are labelled separately. Sources checked 2026-10-21. FeedMatch does not quote fishmeal or fish oil prices here.
- Confirmed historical data
By-products (processing trimmings) supplied 34% of global fishmeal production and 54% of global fish oil production in 2024.
Shares of production volume, not of supply to any one market. A separate IFFO-hosted magazine article (August 2026) gives about 35% and 57% without stating the data year, so quote the figure with its year and source.
Source: IFFO, By-product (Dr Enrico Bachis) · March 2026 · data: 2024
- Reported member data (not a full global census)
Through August 2026, cumulative fishmeal output in the countries IFFO tracks ran 45% behind the same period of 2025, and fish oil output 26% behind, while Peru's North-Centre anchovy season stayed closed.
Based on IFFO members' data from 12 producing countries covering about 40% of global fishmeal and 50% of fish oil output.
Source: IFFO, El Niño remains a concern, with expectations of prolonged coastal warming in Peru · 5 October 2026 · data: January–August 2026
- Forecast
IFFO expects 2026 global supply below 4.6 million t of fishmeal and around 1.15 million t of fish oil — the lowest since 2016 for both.
A projection published before the season outcome is known; check the next IFFO update before using it in a contract or budget.
Source: IFFO, El Niño remains a concern, with expectations of prolonged coastal warming in Peru · 5 October 2026 · data: 2026 (forecast)
- Speaker statement reported by IFFO
At the IFFO Annual Conference in Buenos Aires, a DNB Bank speaker said record-high fishmeal and fish oil prices are changing aquafeed recipes, with more poultry, GMO and novel ingredients.
A reported view, not a price series: IFFO's summary gives no price level, benchmark or comparison period, so FeedMatch quotes no price.
Source: IFFO, IFFO Conference 2026: Key takeaways from the Opening session (19 October) · 19 October 2026
- Speaker statement reported by IFFO
In the 20 October session, a Rabobank speaker said biofuel demand is reshaping price relationships between oils and proteins, and that relative prices and co-product availability will increasingly decide which ingredients enter feed formulas.
An outlook from one speaker, not a forecast with figures.
Source: IFFO, IFFO Conference 2026: Key takeaways from Challenges & Opportunities · Session of 20 October 2026 (date on IFFO's session slides)
- Speaker statement reported by IFFO
MarinTrust's Executive Chair said responsible sourcing covers product safety, manufacturing practice, social safeguards and full traceability, and that a certificate is one tool and a snapshot in time.
Reported in the same 20 October session summary.
Source: IFFO, IFFO Conference 2026: Key takeaways from Challenges & Opportunities · Session of 20 October 2026 (date on IFFO's session slides)
- Certification standard
MarinTrust (formerly IFFO RS) certifies marine-ingredient factories under its Global Standard Version 3.0, which assesses whole-fish and by-product raw materials; all facility audits have used Version 3 since 1 May 2025.
A factory certificate covers the named site and scope; ask for the certificate, its scope and expiry.
Source: MarinTrust, MarinTrust Standard Version 3.0 · Issued 23 October 2023; effective 1 May 2024
- Certification standard
MarinTrust Chain of Custody Standard Version 2.1 (issued February 2026, effective 1 May 2026) covers processing, storage and trading of certified marine ingredients.
Relevant when buying through a trader or blender rather than directly from a certified factory.
Source: MarinTrust, MarinTrust Chain of Custody Standard · February 2026
What to put in your fishmeal or fish oil request
FeedMatch guidance based on the points above — not a source statement.
- State whether by-product or whole-fish raw material is acceptable, and the fishery, species or by-product origin you need.
- Ask for the MarinTrust factory certificate (site, scope, expiry) and, when buying through a trader, the chain-of-custody certificate.
- Require lot numbers on every bag or bulk lot, a certificate of analysis per lot and traceback from lot to raw material.
- Ask suppliers how they would cover your volumes if a fishing season closes: alternate origins, stock positions and notice periods.
- Compare formula options by feed cost per kg of output with your own measured FCR, not by ingredient price alone.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good TVN level?
Do I need MarinTrust (formerly IFFO RS) certification?
Is ethoxyquin still allowed?
How should I sample a fish meal shipment?
Fish meal quality changes with time and temperature. This checklist keeps freshness, documentation and storage under control from RFQ to consumption.
Your next step, by buying intent
Pick the lane that matches where you are in the purchase — each link goes to the exact tool or page for that step.
What exactly am I buying?
How much, and at what landed cost?
Is this supplier and lot acceptable?
Turn your specification into a comparable RFQ. Free for buyers, with human procurement experts alongside the platform.
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