Seafoods including fish are an important source of protein in the human diet, providing nearly 20% of the animal protein consumed by the world population [1]. Fish contains all the essential amino acids required for human growth and nutrition and hence constitutes an excellent source of nutritive and digestible protein [2]. Over the last several decades, an increasing demand and consumption of seafood products has lead to over-exploitation of world fish stocks. In addition to over-exploitation, large amounts of protein rich by-products are discarded without any attempt to recover them. If one merely looks at the processing by-products from filleting, these raw materials may contain as much as 10 to 20% of fish protein and in many cases are not utilized for human or animal consumption. Possibly, more than 60% of fish tissue remaining after processing (species dependent) is considered as a processing waste and not used for human food.In recent years, strict environmental regulations have been imposed, which no longer allow fish processors to discard their offal, resulting in high cost of refining the material before it is discarded or directing it into low-grade fish meal or plant fertilizers [3]. Dwindling fish stocks and under-utilization of aquatic by-products has provoked a strong and urgent need to develop alternative methods for better utilization of fish and seafood by-products. However, in order to be accepted by the industry, these processes have to be economically feasible compared to discarding the by-products or using them for feed or fertilizer [4,5]. A number of methods to better utilize raw materials of aquatic origin have been proposed, one of them being enzymatic hydrolysis to produce what is collectively called fish protein hydrolysate (FPH).The use of enzymes for predigesting food proteins has been used for centuries for tenderizing meat and for making products such as tempeh, tofu, fish sauce, and fermented herring. By applying enzyme technology to recover and modify fish proteins present in the by-products of fish processing, it is possible to produce a broad spectrum of protein ingredients with a wide range of food and nutraceutical applications [4,6]. This approach could make better use of by-products and at the same time be employed for under-utilized fish species, increasing the margin of profit for the fishing industry and creating a more environmentally friendly industry. Significant work on recovery of fish proteins was conducted in the 1960s
Handbook of Seafood Q uality, Safety and Health ApplicationsEdited by Cesarettin Alasalvar, Fereidoon Shahidi, Kazuo Miyashita and Udaya Wanasundara