2008/738 Process development for the production of fish protein hydrolysates from fish processing co-products for food applications

By Shan He

The Australian seafood industry discards over 100,000 tons of fish processing co-products (FPCP) annually at the cost of AUD $150/ton. This inefficient business model not only increases the cost burden but also causes environmental problems. In addition, the global fishery production is estimated to increase in the next several years from about 134.3 million tons in 2004 to about 145.1 million tons in 2009. Utilisation of FPCP to produce value-added products has been highlighted as one of the high priority areas for the sustainable development of the global seafood industry. FPCP of Yellowtail Kingfish (YTK) and Atlantic Salmon (AS), the two major Australian commercial fish species, were used as experimental materials.

This project comprehensively determined the composition of different sections of FPCP, including head, frame, skin, viscera and belly flap, from AS and YTK. The physicochemical properties of FPH produced from different processing conditions have been determined for potential food applications. The commercial value of FPH in food industry has been demonstrated by formulating of low oil binding FPH into deep fried food products that have significantly reduced fat uptake. The food safety test on FPH showed that FPH are safe for food application if applied correctly. The economic feasibility analysis by Superpro Designer demonstrated the microwave-intensified chemical process developed in this study is feasible to be scaled up to the industrial production. These findings provide knowledge and technology for food industry to make a decision on investment in value-adding to FPCP for FPH products.