The consumption, proximate and amino acid composition of local freshwater fish

J. Zanariah and A. Noor Rehan

Abstract

Intake of fish especially as a source of protein is discussed briefly. The nutritional value of l4 freshwater fish such as carps, featherback, gourami, snakehead and tilapia were analysed for proximate composition. The protein quality based on the amino acid composition was analysed by using a Technicon multisampler amino acid analyser. Freshwater fish contained high quality protein when compared with the FAO/WHO provisional protein references. Freshwater fish contains a high level of the essential amino acid, lysine, exceeding that found in other animal proteins such as hen's egg and is also higher than that found in human milk. Freshwater fish with its high quality protein content has great potential to become one of the chief sources of protein in the Malavsian diet.

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