Asian Fisheries Society

Fish Waste Management: Turning Waste into Healthy Feed with Antimicrobial Properties

Abstract:

Fish processing results in a high volume of by-products that often goes to waste if not converted into valueadded products. This review paper aims to present ideas on how to convert these by-products into healthy feed. As a result of fish processing, between 20 and 80 % of the whole fish is not used for direct human consumption. Bigger industrial fish processing units usually process the by-products into fishmeal and fish oil. For small-scale processing units, however, investing in a fishmeal plant is not economically viable unless at least 8 tonnes of raw material is available daily. The preservation of the raw material by acid silage is a simple and inexpensive alternative. Fish silage consists of minced fish by-products or minced whole fish not suitable for human consumption with an added preservative, usually an organic acid such as formic acid, to stabilise the mixture. Fish silage technology can also be used to treat dead fish to prevent the spread of diseases. Fish silage processing methods based on heat treatment at ≥85 °C for ≥25 minutes at pH ≤4.0 will inactivate fish pathogens such as Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens. This treatment will also degrade DNA and inactivate genes potentially encoding antibiotic resistance. Furthermore, formic acid and the free amino acids and small-chain peptides in the fish silage mixture have antimicrobial properties. Thus, it can be used to reduce the use of antibiotics and promote healthy immune systems of fish. Fish waste can be converted into healthy feed through simple and inexpensive fish silage processing.

Publication Date : 2020-12-25

Volume : 33

Issue : Special Understanding Antimicrobial Resistance in Aquaculture

Page : 11-15

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Date 2020/12/25
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