SURIMI INDUSTRY

REVIEW

INTRODUCTION• Malaysia – Fish consuming nation. Produced

268514 million tonnes of fish, valued at RM 1.649 billion

• Fish and fisheries products are an important source of dietary protein for Malaysia.

• Fish contributes 60-70% of the total animal protein intake

• One of the potential fisheries product is SURIMI

• Surimi is an intermediate product made from minced fish meat that has been washed, refined, and treated with cryoprotectants.

• The process of making surimi was developed in many areas of East Asia over several centuries.

• In china - fish ball • In Japan - kamaboko, fish sausage, or cured

surimi products. • Alaska Pollock • USA & Japan – major producer of surimi &

surimi based products• Thailand, China, Vietnam, Chile, the Faroe

Island, France and Malaysia – emerged into surimi industry.

Rapid Growth in the popularity due to the characteristic of surimi:

• Underutilized and less utilized species can used as raw materials.

• Frozen surimi has a long shelf life and highly functional protein ingredient.

• A variety based products can be manufactured• Current technology

TRADE PERFORMANCE AND MAJOR MARKETS

• Import under this category: Year Quantity Value

2001 70 metric tons RM 454943• Main import / main supplier

2000- United States2001- Chile (65%), Japan (16%), Singapore

(10%)• Main export- Korea (96.5%), Taiwan (1.6%) and

Singapore (0.85%)

Major Surimi Processing Companies

Company Name Surimi Production Quantity (MT/year) 2006

QL Food Sdn. Bhd. 82000

QL Marine Products Sdn. Bhd. 4000

Global Ocean Frozen Food Sdn. Bhd. 3200

Ocean Fresh Seafood Products Sdn. Bhd. 4500

Total 93700

GRADE AND MARKET PRICE

The average market price for various grades of surimi:

SURIMI OF GRADE MARKET PRICE (RM/kg)Super Grade A USD 2.40Grade AA USD 2.30Grade A USD 2.20Grade Mixed Surimi USD 1.50

SURIMI PROCESSING

Raw materials used for surimi products in Malaysia

No English Name Trade Name Scientific Name1 Threadfin bream Itoyori Nemipterus spp.2 Lizard fish Eso Saurida spp.3 Big eyes, Ox – eye scad Kintoki - dai Priacanthus spp.4

Croaker, Jewfish GuchiPennahia spp.Johnius spp.

5Goatfish Himeji

Parupeneus pleurospilus.Upenneus spp.

6 Barracuda Sphyraena spp.7 Ribbon fish, hairtail Trichiurus spp.8 Pike Conger Hamo Muraenesocidae9 Greenling Pleurogrammus spp.

Threadfin bream19%

Lizard fish2%

Big eye23%

Croaker8%

Goat fish33%

Barracuda15%

Percentage of raw materials used in Surimi processing plants in Malaysia

Quality of Surimi- Total import ↑ , demand of raw materials↑

- Higher availability- Small fatty dark-fleshed fish such as pelagic species

Sardine (Sardina pilchardus) Horse Mackerel (Trachurus trachurus)

Quality of SurimiMajor problem : The Composition of dark muscle !

23-29%

62-66%

6-9% 2-3%

myofribillar proteinsarcoplasmic proteinalkali-soluble proteinstroma protein

Problems

Greater Concentrations

of Heme Proteins

High Proteolytic Activities

Less Stable Proteins

High Lipid Content

High concentration of

sarcoplasmic protein

• High Lipid Content• Susceptibility to oxidize• Oxidized lipid may interact with proteins

• causing denaturation, polymerization and changes in functional properties

• Causes off-flavors

• greater proteolytic activity • higher susceptibility to modori

– gel weakening that occurs if the gel is held too long

at a temperature around 50-60°C

• Sarcoplasmic proteins• bind to the myofribillar proteins• interfere with the formation of gels

– interfered with myosin cross-linking during gel matrix formation

• change the rheological properties of the fish gels

Negative Environmental Impact

• Utilization of natural resources

– poor utilization of fish resources

– Large requirement of freshwater

• discharging processing water that has not been

adequately treated

Competitiveness Indicators

Production Cost

Raw Material Sourcing

Profit Making Ability

Customer Satisfaction

Issued HACCAP Certification

Product Quality

Product Efficiency

Staff Ability

Production Technology

Sale and Market Share

Research & Development

Raw Material Sourcing

Raw material (fish) is in sufficient for production

Price ↑

Profit making ability ↓

Comparison of competitiveness in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and China

Thailand• Best labor productivity

• production technology transferred from Japan and skilled labor• Higher price

Vietnam• Higher production efficiency

• Abundant raw materials

China• High export growth rate

• lower labor and raw material cost

Malaysia• Better production efficiency and market efficiency

• advanced technology and lower percentage of waste

Major Indicators for Comparing Competitiveness between Countries

Productivity

Asset UtilizationEfficiency Malaysia

Thailand

Vietnam

China

SUGGESTION Use of additives to improve surimi quality• The gel strength of surimi is enhanced by protease inhibitor such as egg white, whey protein concentrate• Phosphate is added to increase the water- holding capacity. • Hydrocolloids and polysaccharides are used to act as fillers, thickeners or gelling agents to the surimi.• Calcium compounds, oxidizing agents and chitosan to form stronger protein gel networks to the surimi.

Government incentive• National Agriculture Policy (NAP) of Malaysia is to

increase food production. NAP3 focused on offshore fishing, aquaculture and downstream value-added activities.

• Support with fisheries’ infrastructure, marketing network, comprehensive human resource development and research and development programmes (R&D).

• Undertake efforts to unify individual entrepreneurs including small and medium enterprises (SMEs) engaged in processing, while for private sector will be further encouraged.

• Joint ventures to engage in distant-water fishing between local and foreign private sector will be promoted under:-

1. Indonesia- Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT- GT)

2. Brunei-Indonesia- Malaysia-Philippine-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA)

3. Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore-Growth Triangle (IMS- GT)

NEW PRODUCT • Utilization of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus)

from dark fish as a new species in Production of Surimi-Based Products

• Healthy surimi with Addition of omega-3- rich oils

• Surimi from cephalopods

Utilization of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) in Production of Surimi-Based Products

• second largest contributor in terms of aquaculture production in Malaysia.

• as a potential new source of raw materials for the surimi industry.

• referred to as fatty fish and classified as dark muscle fish with strong muddy odor.

• satisfying quality parameters and sensory acceptance.

Healthy surimi with Addition of omega-3- rich oils

• could potentially elevate the product to the status of a functional or nutraceutical food.

• Food products enriched with omega-3 PUFAs are in increasing demand due to demonstrated health benefits.

• However, surimi products with enriched higher levels of omega-3 oils suffered from greater levels of lipid oxidation - rancid tastes

Surimi from cephalopods

• Besides the use of fish muscle, it is possible to manufacture gelling products from Cephalopoda.

• have some advantages color, low fat content, and mild flavor.

• Surimi from cephalopods such as the giant squid is a new product from the concentrate of muscle protein of its main myofribillar protein

IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESSING

Application of new equipment

Maximization of whole fish utilization

Yield improvement

Waste reduction

Optimization of yield-influencing factors

Recycling of waste water

Solid recovery for by-product development

WASTE MANAGEMENT

TYPE SPECIFIC COMPOUNDS APPLICATION

Organs

Roe Food

Milt Food, Nucleotides

Skin Collagen, Gelatin

Livers Food, Omega-3s, Fuel oil

Stomachs Food, Niche markets

Nutraceuticals

Omega-3 fatty acids Pharmaceuticals, Food additive

Collagen Gelatin, Food additive

Polypeptides Hormone-like additives

Dipeptides Antioxidants, Bioactive ingredients

Hydrolysates High-end foods, Niche markets

Enzymes Proteases Fish sauce, Protein digestion

Collagenase Tissue softening