Anyone know the shelve life of fish oil?

As far as I know, it will always be oil until it dries up. Has that ever happened?

It can go rancid without preservative.

I wonder if the fish oils bought from the big trapping supply retailers has preservative in it

Pure sun rendered fish trout, salmon and paddlefish oil I believe can last a lifetime in a good sealed container. I have some from the late 70's I smell every now and then. Still smells like it use too when I bottled it. I am speaking of good oil not fish juice which is the residual water sludge waste that is what some believe is oil.

Pressed fish oils like menhaden I have seen get like a lacquer dried linseed oil skim in some bottles that have set for a few years without use. Hard to say how long they will hold good odor or go flat..

The dealers selling it I doubt add anything to it. If it has any preservative it would have been added to it when it was made.I believe it is all synthetic from what I know.

Thanks. I was hoping you'd chime in Bob. Good info.


I'm not sure if the oils I've bought are pressed or sun rendered. Unless advertised as sun rendered, I'm guessing the ones on the market are pressed.

Trout and Salmon sun rendered oil is generally very dark in color. Some of the real top oil can be somewhat golden at times. But most all that I pull off is very dark to black in color or very dark brown. The odor is remarkable compared to pressed oils. Paddlefish oil is usually very golden and more clear in color.

( I've been quiet long enough...)

Oh, it has more than that in it !

Most fish oil sold by trap supply houses, is synthetic! It's not real #@$%^& fish oil !
It's made in a lab and anybody that tells you different, has some to sell you !
Take that to the bank !

Now, real sun rendered fish oil, if kept out of the sun and excessive heat in a SEALED glass container, will out live you !
Oil comes from fat
or in the case of , say a carp, the pituitary gland, located in the top of it's head.
Trout, salmon, paddle fish, all make good oil, but you want the fat. Good belly fat, if you can get it.
I know. I make sun rendered fish oil.
The rest of all that stuff, will make little oil.

If the fish oil goes flat or goes "rancid", it was garbage to start with !
Real sun rendered fish oil, does NOT need a preservative...and anyone that says different, should stay out of the fish oil business !

Wow Lt. how did you gain all of this knowledge

Lt. knows what he is talking about. I have stated many times before about these standard industry sold fish oils. They are processed and not pure fish oils. Mfg I guess is a good word to describe them. Some folks like them due to the price and some work to a degree since they do have odor. But naturally occurring 100 percent they are not and cannot compare to true sun rendered oils.

So, did you finally get the fish to stop squeaking?

Lol Something like 40 years experience?

Yep