The luxury of supplements is a commonly overlooked aspect of our contemporary lifestyle. Have you ever thought about how convenient it is to swallow one little capsule and get the essential nutrients you need in your diet?
With the amount of supplements available on the market, the likely answer is that you haven’t. And, truly, there isn’t much of a need when you know you’ll be gaining the benefits despite your lack of knowledge.
Still, if you’re a curious cat who craves to understand the science behind supplements, then let’s familiarize ourselves with the process of fish oil extraction. Arguably one of the most common supplements you’ll find in average households due to the positive influence it has on your health, fish oil is a wonderful addition to your diet and extracting it doesn’t have to be as complicated as you might think.
Traditional Fish Oil Extraction Methods
As a dominant contender in the world of health supplements, the demand for fish oil is ever-increasing and the methods of extraction are constantly being reevaluated based on their effects. On an industrial scale, processing fish oil can seem daunting. There is a lot of work that goes into sufficiently extracting fish oil, along with various methods to choose from, all of which offer different challenges and advantages.
Wet Pressing to Extract Fish Oil
For production on an industrial scale, wet pressing is the most common method of extracting fish oil. A majority of factories utilize this method because of the effective fish oil that they are able to produce.
The steps for wet pressing are the following:
- Raw fish enters the processing plant, is cut into pieces (hashed), and cooked by steam
- The cooked fish is pressed to separate the fat-free dry solids from the oil and water
- The solids are processed into fish meal and the remaining liquid is further processed to separate the oil and water
- The separated water contains solids, which are added back into the fish meal
- Impurities are removed from the oil with hot water during the refinement process
- Antioxidants are added to the oil before it can be packaged for the final step in the fish oil extraction process
Steaming is the primary technique used to cook the fish for the purpose of producing fish oil, but there is a higher chance of impurities being present in the oil after the process is finished. Waiting for the separation of solids from the oil and water is also time-consuming and not very efficient, so centrifugation is a better method to choose when you want to produce a more pure oil in a timely manner.
Green Fish Oil Extraction Methods
Fish oil has always been a staple part of the human diet due to its numerous health benefits, and as the demand for fish oil grows within the food and pharmaceutical industries, the question of how fish oil can be more efficiently produced than it currently is now is on the rise.
Green fish oil extraction aims to reduce the consumption of energy typically used in traditional extraction methods. The resulting product is often of a better quality than fish oil obtained through traditional extraction methods, so you are getting a more potent and effective extract this way.
Supercritical Fluid Extraction
As a growing extraction technology, supercritical fluid extraction has gained an increase in popularity in recent years due to the advantages it offers in comparison with other extraction methods. Supercritical fluids are solvents that are less viscous and have an easier time diffusing, reducing the time needed for extraction.
Since moderate temperatures are used in this extraction method, no compounds are lost due to excessive heat. While this seems like a promising alternative to the popular wet pressing, the cost of implementing supercritical fluid extraction on an industrial level would be massive.
Fish Silage
This method is cheaper in terms of energy costs and there is no use of high temperatures during this process, so the risk of damaging important compounds present in the fish oil is reduced. Fish silage is a semi-liquid product that is made from fish parts. Enzymes, lactic acid bacteria, and acids are added to the fish to cause protein hydrolysis.
Supplements For Better Health
If you want to find out how fish oil can help you see improvements to your well being, then it is time to start incorporating them into your diet. Since you can’t always be expected to eat fish with your daily meals, supplements are the best course of action to choose from since they are convenient and offer all of the same benefits that come alongside consuming a hearty dinner of salmon.
What are you waiting for? Make fish oil a staple in your diet to reap the health benefits and get the nutrients your body needs to thrive!
