Tag: Fishmeal

Peer-reviewed articles

Identification of environmental hotspots in fishmeal and fish oil production towards the optimization of energy-related processes

Contact

Sigurjón Arason

Chief Engineer

sigurjon.arason@matis.is

This study assessed the environmental impacts of a pelagic fishmeal and fish oil production plant in Iceland with the life cycle assessment methodology. The study focused on assessing the effects of different energy sources for utility production due to the high energy intensity of fishmeal and fish oil production, as quality improved with lower cooking temperature. The environmental hotspots of three different processing scenarios were assessed, where the factory was run on hydropower (Scenario 0), heavy fuel (Scenario 1) and a composition of both (Scenario 2), from cradle-to-factory gate. Midpoint results showed that the raw material acquisition contributed the most to the environmental impact when the fishmeal factory was operating on hydropower. However, drying had the highest impact when heavy fuel oil was used for utility production. This study also demonstrated that lowering the cooking temperature from 90 to 85 °C, led to improved quality and simultaneously reduced environmental impacts during processing. This indicated that a small energy adjustment in the production can have an environmental gain, demonstrating the necessity to optimize each processing step in the fishmeal and fish oil production process both for increased product quality and minimizing environmental impacts.

Reports

Nordic Center of Excellence Network in Fishmeal and Fish oil

Published:

11/06/2019

Authors:

Marvin Ingi Einarsson, Alfred Jokumsen, Anne Mette Bæk, Charlotte Jacobsen, Søren Anker Pedersen, Tor Andreas Samuelsen, Jóhannes Pálsson, Odd Eliasen, Ola Flesland

Supported by:

AG fund, EUfishmeal

Nordic Center of Excellence Network in Fishmeal and Fish oil

The main objective of this work was to summarize current knowledge on fishmeal and fish oil as well as identify the research needs and create a roadmap for future industry-driven research. The main conclusion was that the quality of raw material, fishmeal and oil are not yet well defined. The real focus by the industry has mainly been limited to nutrients, such as proteins and fats and other components that makeup fishmeal. There has been less focus on the health benefits of dietary contents of fishmeal and oil and the relationship between processing methods and the nutritional and technical properties of fishmeal. In addition, to proactively strengthen the market position and competitiveness, it is crucial for the industry to achieve a common understanding of the needs of their customers in line with a clear profile of the benefits of their products. A communication strategy as well as a research strategy is needed.

Finally, the identity of the industry needs to be clear and transparent to promote a story about the industry to provide a clear and positive image of the industry to be communicated to society. This means, that a communication strategy as well as a research strategy must be established, as there is a lack of communication along the value chain from the industry to the consumers. There is still a lack of understanding by the consumers of why fishmeal is produced, the reasons must be communicated in such a way that it reaches the average consumer.

The industry members are interested in moving forward to sustain the future growth of the industry. Fishmeal and fish oil production has been prosperous for a very long time, but to remain so, cooperation among all stakeholders is crucial for continued progress.

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