Blood Meal
Blood meal is a high-protein animal-origin ingredient produced by drying and grinding the blood of slaughtered animals from the meat industry, most commonly pigs and cattle. It is characterized by very high crude protein content (often >85%) with a high level of lysine and other essential amino acids, and very low levels of fat and carbohydrates. Due to its concentrated protein and amino acid profile, it is used as a high-quality protein concentrate in feeds for poultry, swine and aquaculture, especially in high-performance starter and grower diets. The use of blood meal is strictly regulated, with requirements for traceability, thermal treatment and biosecurity.
Source
Feed-grade blood meal is obtained from:
- collected blood from healthy animals in approved slaughterhouses
- processing (coagulation, thermal treatment, drying) and grinding into meal
Standard industrial practice includes high-temperature treatment to inactivate pathogens, moisture reduction to low levels and fine grinding to obtain a uniform particle size suitable for premixes and complete feeds.
Variations
- Standard blood meal (dried whole blood)
- Hemoglobin meal (concentrated source of iron and protein from separated hemoglobin)
- Plasma powder (functional fraction with high protein content and specific biological properties)
- Blood meal from different animal species (porcine, bovine), depending on local regulations and availability
Applications In The Industry
Aqua
In aquaculture, blood meal is used as part of the protein fraction in feeds for freshwater and marine species, mainly to replace a portion of fishmeal or other expensive protein sources. Owing to its high lysine content and good overall amino acid profile, it can improve the balance of essential amino acids in extruded fish pellets. In starter and grower diets it is used at moderate inclusion levels, with strict control of quality and freshness to maintain pellet palatability and water stability. In aquafeed formulations it is highlighted as a concentrated protein source with relatively low phosphorus content compared to some other animal meals.
Poultry
In poultry nutrition, blood meal is incorporated into broiler, turkey and to a lesser extent layer diets as a highly concentrated source of protein and lysine. In starter and grower concentrates it can replace part of soybean meal or fishmeal, helping to optimize the amino acid profile and overall cost of the protein fraction. Due to its high level of specific amino acids, blood meal is particularly suitable in diets targeting fast average daily gain and good feed conversion. In practice, inclusion level and processing parameters (particle size, heat treatment) are carefully managed to preserve palatability and avoid excessive pellet hardness.
Swine
In swine feeding, blood meal is used mainly in piglet and finisher diets as an exceptionally rich source of protein and lysine. In pre- and post-weaning piglet feeds it can improve the amino acid profile in combination with dairy ingredients and highly digestible energy sources. In grower-finisher pigs, blood meal is used to optimize the protein-to-energy ratio, particularly in formulations focused on high growth rate and efficient feed conversion. Thanks to its high iron content, it can help cover increased requirements during intensive growth, while strictly respecting legal limits and biosecurity standards.
Benefits Of Use
- Very high protein and lysine content for fish, poultry and swine
- Allows partial replacement of more expensive protein sources (fishmeal, part of soybean meal)
- Low fat and relatively low phosphorus compared with some other animal proteins
- Suitable for high-performance starter, grower and finishing feeds, as well as premixes
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