Innovations in Fish Processing Technology

Abstract

Globally, fish has been realized as a nature’s super-food with the global per capita availability for consumption of 20.2 kg/year/person. Aquatic system has provided 157.4 million tons of aquatic animals as food and served as a source for 25 million tonnes of easily digestible proteins packed with essential amino acids and health beneficial peptides. Marine fish is well-recognised for their richness in therapeutic fatty acids including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The richness in terms of essential micronutrients like vitamins and minerals has made the fish as a better and sustainable choice to address the nutritional issues at global scale. India has contributed 8% (162.48 lakhs tonnes) to the global fish production with the very below global per capita average annual consumption (6.31 kg/year/person). Global as well as Indian fish production has significant quantity as wastage due to post-harvest loss and process related waste generation, and nearly accounts to 27–39%. In the contest of Indian fisheries, minimizing post-harvest loss and improving the waste utilization through innovative solutions could greatly transform the aquatic food system to support the food and nutritional security of India. Innovations in technologies through research and development could strengthen the strategies to minimize the post-harvest fish loss. Innovations are demanded in fish processing methods, product development, processing machineries, handling tools, and supply chain. Implementing the developments happening in allied sectors, including information technology and artificial intelligence to strengthen the forward and backward linkages will result in a well-managed supply chain and cold chain. Bridging the information, knowledge and technological gaps between producers and consumers would be a key for reducing the post-harvest fisheries loss. The innovations in technologies to be friendly with local culture and should satisfy the peculiar local needs for better adoptions by many numbers so as to achieve the transformation envisaged in aquatic food system for building a healthy and wealthy nation.