What should a fish oil RFQ specify?
State the exact commodity or oil, processing grade, moisture or free-fatty-acid limits where relevant, energy basis used by your formulator, contamination limits and the intended species or feed phase.
Energy Sources & Grains
Fish Oil
Also known as: Marine oil · Omega-3 oil
Marine oil rich in long-chain omega-3 (EPA/DHA). Essential for salmonid, marine and premium pet-food diets.
Applications by species
salmontroutshrimppet food
Species that use this ingredient
Top global export origins
Peru Chile Norway Denmark Iceland
Compare origins on the same delivered basis for your discharge port and shipment window with the landed-cost calculator, then request offers through a reviewed RFQ.
Certifications buyers commonly request
Schemes buyers often ask suppliers to document for this ingredient — not a statement that any supplier holds them. FeedMatch asks for the current certificate in the RFQ; check that its scope covers the product and activity in the scheme's own register (see GMP+ and FAMI-QS).
IFFO RS GMP+ MarinTrust
Buyer considerations
Advantages
- Unique EPA/DHA source
- High energy density
Constraints & risks
- Highly volatile pricing
- Supply cap from wild fisheries
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.
Fish Oil sourcing questions buyers should settle before an RFQ
These questions turn a broad market search into a comparable procurement brief. Values, doses, substitutions and performance expectations must be approved by the buyer's qualified nutrition, veterinary, feed-science, safety and regulatory advisers.
How should buyers compare fish oil supplier quotations?
Normalise offers to the same delivered quality and energy basis, including moisture, losses, testing, freight, duties and handling. Ask your formulator to approve substitutions before comparing them as equivalents.
Which documents should a fish oil supplier provide?
Request a current specification, technical and safety data, recent batch certificates of analysis, manufacturing and feed-safety certification, destination registration where required, allergen or GMO status where relevant, traceability details, shelf-life evidence and a clear procedure for non-conforming lots. Verify documents and claims before approval.
What changes fish oil availability and the price offered to buyers?
The quoted result can change with feedstock or active-material availability, production concentration, plant outages, energy and freight costs, packaging, order size, Incoterm, destination registration, testing requirements and delivery window. FeedMatch does not publish a live price; buyers should request a firm, time-bound quotation against one controlled specification.
Official standards and regulatory references
Confirm the current rule for the exact product, target species and destination market before contracting. Private assurance schemes may support supplier qualification but do not replace applicable law.
Key specifications to contract
Energy Values (ME, NE, DE)
Energy values are calculated or measured estimates of the usable energy an ingredient delivers to a specific species; they are matrix values, not analytical certificates.
Moisture
Moisture is water content expressed as a percentage; it dilutes every other nutrient, drives mould and mycotoxin risk in storage, and is the single most disputed parameter in bulk feed trade.
Mycotoxins
Mycotoxins are toxic fungal metabolites — aflatoxins, DON, zearalenone, fumonisins, ochratoxin A, T-2/HT-2 — that form in the field and in storage and are regulated with species-specific limits.
Particle Size & Granulometry
Particle size distribution governs mixing homogeneity, pellet quality, digestive efficiency and segregation risk, and is specified as a geometric mean diameter with a distribution, not a single sieve figure.
Crude Fibre & Fibre Fractions
Crude fibre is a legacy proximate measure of indigestible plant structure; NDF, ADF and total dietary fibre describe the same material more precisely and are what modern formulation uses.
Each parameter is explained in the specification library — what it measures, how it is tested and what to verify.
Laboratory testing programme
| Test | Why buyers run it |
|---|---|
| Moisture and test weight | Storage stability, energy density and commercial weight |
| Mycotoxin panel (aflatoxin, DON, zearalenone, fumonisin) | Cereal chains carry the highest mycotoxin exposure |
| Starch and residual oil | Drives the calculated energy value used in formulation |
| Foreign matter and broken kernels | Purity, flow behaviour and true usable tonnage |
| Insect fragments and mould count | Storage history indicator |
Storage, packaging, transport & handling
Shelf life
6–12 months under nitrogen blanket or antioxidant protection, in cool dark storage; oxidation indices drive real usable life, not the calendar.
Storage recommendations
- — Aerate and monitor temperature at multiple silo depths
- — Control moisture migration — hot spots form before visible mould appears
- — Maintain insect and rodent monitoring with documented treatments
Packaging options
- — Bulk silo or vessel parcels
- — Bulk bags for intermediate volumes
- — Bagged only for small or remote operations
Transportation considerations
- — Verify prior cargo in bulk holds; grain readiness inspection before loading
- — Ventilate to prevent condensation on long tropical routes
- — Record fumigation treatments and residues
Handling best practices
- — Manage dust — grain and by-product dust is both a loss and an explosion risk
- — Control grinding to the target geometric mean diameter for the species
- — Blend by-products gradually to keep diet energy stable
Procurement considerations
- —Set mycotoxin limits by destination regulation and target species, with a defined incremental sampling plan
- —Agree moisture adjustment scales rather than simple rejection thresholds
- —Confirm harvest year and storage history, not only origin
Common industry standards
- — GMP+ FSA / FAMI-QS feed safety scheme certification of the producing site
- — ISO/IEC 17025 accredited analysis for contractual and safety parameters
- — HACCP plan covering the specific material and process route
- — Codex Alimentarius Code of Practice on Good Animal Feeding
Typical risks & common mistakes
Typical risks
- — Hot-spot mycotoxin contamination missed by grab sampling
- — Energy value drifting between harvest years and origins
- — Fumigant residues and insect infestation entering the mill
Common mistakes
- — Grab-sampling bulk cargo for mycotoxin decisions
- — Assuming published energy tables represent the delivered cargo
- — Ignoring harvest year when comparing offers from the same origin
Species & industry intelligence
SalmonTroutShrimpPet food
Related knowledge
Procurement verification library
Certificates of analysis, sampling, inspection, origin, traceability and import documentation.
Buying guides & checklists
Step-by-step buying guides and printable verification checklists.
Feed calculators
Least-cost, inclusion and landed-cost tools for procurement planning.
Knowledge center
Technical articles, market context and regulatory background.
Educational reference maintained by FeedMatch Group. We do not rank, recommend or endorse manufacturers; values are indicative industry references and never replace testing of the delivered lot.
Purchase specification and commercial terms
What to agree before you buy feed ingredients
Short answer: suppliers can only quote like-for-like when the specification and the commercial terms are written down. Use the two checklists below. Your nutritionist sets the nutrient values; this page does not suggest any limits, prices or tolerances.
| Product identity | Exact name, origin and process (e.g. solvent-extracted soybean meal), not a generic category. |
|---|---|
| Analytical specification | Parameters with limits and basis: protein, moisture, fat, fibre, ash or the key nutrient for that ingredient. |
| Contaminant limits | Mycotoxins, salmonella, heavy metals and residues under your local feed regulation. |
| Sampling and test method | Who samples, where (loading or arrival), how many samples, which laboratory and method. |
| Packaging and handling | Bulk, big bag or bags; storage and handling conditions in transit. |
| Documents per lot | Certificate of analysis, phytosanitary or health certificate and certificate of origin, as required. |
| Price basis | Price per tonne in one currency with an Incoterms® 2020 rule and named place (e.g. CIF named port). |
|---|---|
| Quantity and tolerance | Contract tonnage, delivery schedule and the agreed quantity tolerance. |
| Payment terms | Deposit, letter of credit or open account, and the documents that trigger payment. |
| Quality acceptance | Which analysis is final (loading or arrival), how a referee sample is resolved, and price adjustment or rejection rules. |
| Claims window | How many days after delivery a quality or quantity claim can be raised, and what evidence is needed. |
| Delivery and delay | Delivery window, who bears late-delivery costs and force majeure wording. |
| Validity | How long the offer stays valid and how price changes are handled for later deliveries. |
Compare offers on cost per kg of output, not price per tonne alone: a cheaper ingredient that worsens feed conversion can cost more per kg produced.
Calculators and checklists are free. Plant and equipment projects start from USD 250,000; ingredient and feed supply has no such minimum. Our team reviews each request before contacting suppliers. Incoterms® is a trademark of the International Chamber of Commerce.
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.
Specify
What exactly am I buying?
Quantify
How much, and at what landed cost?
Qualify
Is this supplier and lot acceptable?
Availability and the ability to trade depend on the applicable law and on the licences and approvals required, which differ by product and country. Each participant is responsible for the rules that apply to its own role: suppliers for the products they offer and supply, buyers for their own import permissions and checks. FeedMatch is not a manufacturer, importer, exporter, seller or regulatory approver; it facilitates sourcing and screens requests before any supplier is contacted. Regulation & responsibilities.
Frequently asked questions
What EPA+DHA level should I specify?
Salmon feed typically requires 18–24% EPA+DHA in the oil fraction. Request certificate of analysis with each lot.
Are algal DHA oils a viable substitute?
Yes for the DHA fraction — Veramaris, DHAgold and others are used in commercial salmon feed. EPA still primarily marine-sourced.
How is fish oil transported?
Flexitank (24 t), ISO tank (25 t) or parcel tanker for large lots. FeedMatch Group RFQs include logistics options.
For commercial farm feed buyers
Buying fish oil for a commercial farm
- Best for
- Commercial farms, integrators, distributors and feed buyers sourcing fish oil and related feed, additives or nutrition supply on a recurring commercial scale — not pet food, hobby farms or backyard quantities.
- Animal species covered
- Broilers and layers, dairy and beef cattle, pigs, tilapia, salmon and shrimp, plus sheep and goats on request.
- Typical feed buyer needs
- A written specification, suppliers whose documents show they can hold that specification, comparable pricing on the same delivery terms, documented quality (CoA, certifications) and a supply schedule that matches production.
- Bulk feed and recurring supply
- Most requests are bulk or big-bag volumes on monthly or quarterly contracts. Volume per delivery, storage capacity on farm and contract length change price more than the headline per-tonne quote.
- Feed additives and premix
- Premix, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, enzymes, organic acids, toxin binders and other additives can be quoted alongside compound feed or ingredients so one supplier comparison covers the whole ration.
- What affects feed cost
- Raw-material origin and specification, inclusion rates, freight and Incoterms, packaging, order volume, payment terms, currency and certification requirements. Landed cost, not ex-works price, decides the winner.
- RFQ checklist
- Species and production stage, tonnes per month, target specification, delivery port or farm location, packaging, required certifications, first delivery date and contract duration.
- Supplier matching process
- You define the requirement, FeedMatch structures the RFQ, sends it to relevant qualified suppliers, and returns comparable offers side by side so you can negotiate on equal terms.
- Buyer is not charged
- Farm buyers are not charged to submit a requirement, receive matched suppliers or compare quotes.
FeedMatch helps farm buyers compare feed suppliers, nutrition providers, additives suppliers and related solutions. FeedMatch is an intermediary and does not manufacture feed or provide financing directly.
Choose your path
What do you need next?
- Equipment: USD 250K+
- Supplier-neutral
- Human-reviewed
I need to buy feed
Finished feed for my animals
Poultry, dairy & beef, pig and aquafeed, plus bulk feed contracts.
I need ingredients
Ingredients, premixes & additives
Soybean meal, grains, DDGS, fish meal, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, premixes and additives.
Suppliers are contacted only after authorized human review. Plant and equipment projects generally from USD 250,000; feed and ingredient supply has no such minimum.
How it worksFish Oil: Sourcing brief and purchase decisions
Product-specific specification
| Fish Oil | Evidence to request |
|---|---|
| Product-specific specification | Fatty-acid profile including EPA/DHA; peroxide and secondary-oxidation methods; contaminants and tank hygiene. |
Lot acceptance and traceability
Turn the product checks into a written specification approved by your technical team. Separate guaranteed contractual values from typical information; state units, moisture basis, analytical methods and tolerances. Request a dated, lot-linked certificate of analysis and representative sampling plan. Agree who releases the lot, what happens after an out-of-spec result, and how retained samples and claims are handled. A generic technical sheet is not evidence for the shipment you receive.
Compare delivered offers on the same basis
Use the same grade, quantity, named delivery place, Incoterm, currency and quote date. Separate product, freight, insurance, duties, testing, handling and payment costs; never count included freight twice or unknown charges as zero. Concentrates require an agreed active-content or activity basis. Moisture correction and nutritional equivalence must use measured analysis and qualified approval, not a kilogram-for-kilogram swap. Ask for quote validity and confirm inclusions before comparing totals.
Shipment, storage and repeat supply
State quantity and units per shipment, frequency, requested arrival window, packaging and unloading constraints. Record warehouse temperature/humidity needs, remaining shelf life at arrival, segregation and traceability requirements. Ask the team to obtain dated lead-time proposals and contingency terms; this is not a stock or supplier-availability claim. Product eligibility and import documents must be checked for the actual destination and animal species, not inferred from another market.
Relate sourcing to measured feed conversion
A lower ingredient invoice does not prove a lower cost of animal production. Use the FCR calculator with your own feed consumed, liveweight gain and complete-feed cost over the same period. Keep species, phase, feed basis and measurement method consistent. Do not attribute an FCR change to an additive without comparable evidence; the calculator evaluates inputs, not product efficacy. Any inclusion or reformulation decision belongs to your qualified nutritionist.
Include these details in your RFQ
- Product, form/grade and approved specification; species and feed phase
- Quantity and units per shipment; repeat frequency
- Delivery country, receiving point, Incoterm and requested window
- Packaging, storage, unloading and remaining shelf-life needs
- Lot tests, sampling, traceability and required destination documents
- Offer validity, currency, payment terms and acceptance/claims conditions
Buyer use is free. Ingredient and recurring feed supply are assessed by specification, viable volume/frequency, destination and logistics—not the plant/equipment capital minimum. FeedMatch reviews your request, contacts suitable suppliers and presents responses through the team; no direct buyer–supplier handoff and no guaranteed offers.
Technical and regulatory references
Ready to submit your ingredient RFQ?
Send your specification, quantity and destination for human review; the US$250,000 minimum applies only to plant and equipment projects. FeedMatch reviews and organises your brief before contacting suitable suppliers, then presents responses through FeedMatch—not through direct buyer-to-supplier contact.
Submit your requirements