Researchers at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU) have succeeded in processing pangas and silver carp into biscuits and chanachur (a savoury snack mix). A team from the Faculty of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Science researched the products for several months with faculty funding, and they say they are the first in Bangladesh to achieve this.

The research was led by lecturer Md Masud Rana of the Department of Fishing and Post Harvest Technology and supervised by the faculty dean, Professor Dr Kazi Ahsan Habib, with support from Dr A M Shahabuddin, chairman of the Department of Aquaculture, and Dr Md Mohibbullah, chairman of the Department of Fishing and Post Harvest Technology.

The team said Bangladesh is self-sufficient in fish and exceeds its targets every year, with pangas and silver carp produced in large quantities. But as consumer demand and prices fall, farmers are turning away from these two fish. Without raising demand and producing value-added products, the fish may disappear from farms in the near future. To boost consumer demand and farmer interest, the low-value fish were processed into tasty, nutritious biscuits and chanachur that supply nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

The products can be produced commercially as ready-to-eat packaged foods, which would increase farmers' interest in these fish. Rich in animal protein, they can help meet the nutritional needs of children and pregnant women. Initial tests show the fish biscuits and chanachur contain 40-50 per cent protein, 20-30 per cent fat, 20-25 per cent carbohydrate, 10-15 per cent minerals and 10-12 per cent fibre.

The products were handed to Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Kamal Uddin Ahamed and the dean.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.