Nutrient Composition of Underutilized Skeins of Flying Fish (Hirundichthys oxycephalus): The New and Better Egg Whites

We examined the nutritional composition and chemical resilience of fish roe skeins from the flying fish (Hirundichthys oxycephalus) that are commonly found in temperate and tropical oceans. The air-dried skeins contained 72-74% crude protein, high-quality protein composed of essential and most non-essential amino acids, and very low carbohydrate content. High macro and micro minerals, lipids, albeit at a low amount, composed of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and water- and lipid-soluble vitamins were also present. The roe skeins were highly durable and resistant to nutrient decomposition through over-desiccation as well bacterial contamination by Escherichia coli. In current production practices, the roe skeins are discarded as food waste. Our study proved that the roe skeins are rich in the nutrients that are valued from chicken egg whites, but provided additional essential macro- and micro-nutrients while being highly durable and resistant to bacterial contamination.
Source: Journal of Food Composition and Analysis - Category: Food Science Source Type: research