April 2, 2025 — Germany-based marine oil distillation companies UIC and VTA, both of which are members of the industrial pipeline conglomerate Streicher Group, have published a joint case study suggesting that short path distillation of fish oils could save producers significant money.
The traditional method of refining crude oils – through chemical neutralization – treats fish oil with an alkaline solution that removes free fatty acids by turning them into soap. Though the treatment is effective, “a significant amount of the valuable product is emulsified and will be lost along with the soapstock.”