Nutritive value of fillets and minced flesh from Alaska pollock and some underutilized finfish species from the Gulf of Mexico.

The nutritional properties of fillets and minced flesh from Alaska pollock and nontraditional finfish species from the Gulf of Mexico were investigated. Based on protein efficiency ratio, net protein ratio, amino acid chemical score, and protein digestibility, the data indicated that minced fish flesh, prepared by proper mechanical deboning of dressed carcasses, contained protein of equal nutritional properties to that of fillets. Significantly lower PER and NPR values were obtained for minced flesh produced by mechanical deboning of croaker filleting waste under high pressure. From a nutritional point of view, this study has shown that mechanical deboning is a suitable technology for converting the shrimp by-catch into products for human consumption.