Types of Fish Used in Fish Mince Production

Not all fish end up on a dinner plate as a fillet or a whole roasted piece. A large proportion of the global fish catch – particularly species with modest market value – finds its most practical and productive use as fish mince: deboned, machine-separated fish flesh that forms the base of countless processed seafood products. Choosing the right raw material is the foundation of quality mince production, and the selection is driven by availability, meat characteristics, and economic viability.

Why raw material choice matters in fish mince production 🔗

Fish mince is only as good as the fish that goes into it. The raw material must have a reasonably high meat-to-bone ratio, a flesh that responds well to mechanical separation, and protein properties that allow it to form a stable, cohesive texture after processing. At the same time, from an industry standpoint, the fish must be available in consistent supply at a low cost. This is why the mince industry draws heavily from species that have limited direct market appeal but strong processing potential.

By-catch species – fish caught unintentionally alongside the target catch during commercial fishing operations – are a major input for fish mince. According to NOAA Fisheries, bycatch refers to marine animals caught incidentally while fishing for another species, and while some of it is retained for use, much of it would otherwise go to waste. Processing this catch into mince adds significant value to what would otherwise be discarded or sold at throwaway prices.

The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) notes that surimi and fish mince production in Southeast Asia primarily uses demersal fish species that were previously considered by-catch, with threadfin bream, big-eye snapper, and lizardfish being the most abundant among them.

The main fish species used as raw materials 🔗

Several species are regularly used in fish mince production around the world. Each brings specific characteristics that make it suitable for this type of processing.

Threadfin bream 🔗

Threadfin bream (Nemipterus spp.) is arguably the most important raw material for tropical fish mince and surimi production. Research published in the Journal of Food Engineering identifies threadfin bream as the second largest resource used for surimi processing globally, after Alaska pollock. Its popularity in the processing industry stems from its meat properties: threadfin bream has white, lean flesh with a low fat content, which is particularly desirable because high fat content reduces the shelf life of minced fish through fat oxidation. The low fat also supports the gel-forming ability of the processed mince.

Studies on Nemipterus japonicus meat show that it contains 18-20% crude protein and less than 3% crude fat – a composition that makes it well-suited for producing high-quality mince with good texture. Threadfin bream is particularly preferred in Southeast Asia for its ease of processing and its ability to yield surimi with strong gel strength and smooth, white-coloured flesh – attributes that transfer directly to mince-based products like fish balls, fish cakes, and fish fingers.

Lizard fish 🔗

Lizard fish (Saurida spp.) is another key raw material, particularly across South and Southeast Asia. Known as “Eso” in Japan, lizardfish has traditionally been considered a premium ingredient in southern Japanese surimi production due to its high meat content and firm, white flesh. Its meat forms a relatively firm gel, though it has a notable limitation: lizardfish loses freshness and gel-forming ability rapidly, even under frozen storage. For this reason, Japan prefers to use it fresh, while in Southeast Asia it is often blended with threadfin bream to balance texture and gel properties in products like crab sticks and fish balls.

Despite the speed at which it deteriorates, lizardfish remains valued in mince production for its white colour and good meat yield. Across India, it appears consistently in lists of fish used as mince raw materials alongside species like pink perch and jewfish, as documented in academic course materials from IGNOU’s fisheries science curriculum.

Croakers and sciaenids 🔗

The sciaenid family – which includes croakers, drums, and weakfish – is a broad group of fish regularly used in mince processing. In India and other tropical fishing regions, sciaenids (locally called jewfish or croakers) are a staple raw material for fish mince. They have mild-flavoured, white flesh that processes cleanly and blends well in formulated products. Research on trawl bycatch composition confirms that sciaenids are a significant component of incidental catch in many tropical trawl fisheries, making them widely available as a raw material at low cost.

Horse mackerel 🔗

Horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.) is a pelagic species caught in large volumes across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. While it is targeted in some directed fisheries, smaller specimens and those caught incidentally are frequently channelled into fish mince production. A US patent on minced fish meat technology lists horse mackerel explicitly among the fish species used as raw materials for mince and surimi. Its slightly stronger, oilier flavour compared to white-fleshed fish makes it more suitable for certain product types – particularly those where a fuller fish flavour is acceptable or desirable.

Barracuda 🔗

Smaller barracuda (Sphyraena spp.) caught as by-catch during commercial fishing operations are used for mince production. Large barracuda are typically sold as whole fish or steaks at premium prices, but the smaller, incidentally caught specimens that do not meet the grade for direct market sale provide lean, clean-flavoured meat that works well as a mince ingredient. Their availability as by-catch in many coastal fisheries, particularly in tropical regions, makes them a practical and economical raw material choice.

Other low-value pelagic species 🔗

Beyond the species listed above, a range of other low-value pelagic and demersal fish contribute to mince production depending on regional availability. These include pink perch (Priacanthus spp.), also called big-eye snapper, which is prized for its firm white meat and good gel strength. In Vietnam, big-eye snappers are commonly blended with threadfin bream to strengthen the gel in mixed-fish products. A comprehensive industry landscape report on tropical surimi confirms that in Southeast Asian production, threadfin bream, lizardfish, big-eye snapper, and goatfish collectively account for more than 90% of all raw materials used.

What makes a fish suitable for mince production? 🔗

The suitability of a fish species for mince production depends on several technical criteria. White or light-coloured flesh is preferred because it yields a visually clean, appealing product. Low fat content is important for shelf life and gel quality – fat interferes with protein cross-linking during processing and accelerates rancidity. A good meat-to-bone ratio matters for processing efficiency, since mechanical deboners extract flesh from whole or pre-cut fish and poor-yielding species are less economical to run through the equipment.

Protein functionality is another key factor. Studies on threadfin bream’s gel-forming properties show that the myofibrillar proteins in fish mince are responsible for the setting and gel formation that give processed mince products their texture and elasticity. Species with high transglutaminase (TGase) enzyme activity in their muscle tissue tend to produce firmer, better-textured products – which is one reason threadfin bream is consistently preferred over other available species.

Finally, economic viability plays a decisive role. The species used for mince are typically those that carry low market prices as whole fish – either because they are small, bony, or simply unfamiliar to consumers. Processing them into mince upgrades their value considerably by transforming them into a standardised ingredient for a wide range of products.

The link between by-catch and sustainable utilisation 🔗

One of the important dimensions of fish mince raw material use is its connection to sustainable fishing practice. A significant proportion of fish caught in trawl operations – particularly in tropical demersal fisheries – consists of non-target species of limited direct market value. Oceana’s analysis of bycatch in US fisheries highlights that organisms caught as bycatch are often discarded due to low value or regulatory constraints. Processing these species into fish mince, rather than discarding them, reduces waste and improves the overall efficiency of fishing operations.

This approach has been well established in Southeast Asia, where the SEAFDEC-documented surimi industry built itself largely on converting previously discarded by-catch into high-value processed seafood. The same principle applies directly to fish mince production: species that would otherwise represent waste from the fishing operation become the raw material base for fish balls, fish cakes, fish sausages, fish wafers, and a wide range of other products consumed globally.

However, the sustained availability of these species is not guaranteed. Industry reports note that threadfin bream stocks in Southeast Asia have declined over time due to intensive fishing pressure, prompting processors to explore blended raw materials and alternative species – including freshwater fish – to maintain production volumes. The quality and availability of the raw material ultimately determines the viability of the entire mince processing chain.

What do you think? Given that species like threadfin bream face increasing pressure from intensive fishing, should the fish mince industry prioritise investing in aquaculture of these species, or focus on developing processing techniques that can handle a wider range of alternative raw materials? And how important do you think the conscious utilisation of by-catch species is as a strategy for reducing waste in commercial fisheries?

References

1. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/bycatch
2. https://repository.seafdec.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12066/790/sp7-2%20surimi%20industry.pdf?sequence=1
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0260877414003598
4. https://www.ukessays.com/essays/biology/changes-in-physiochemical-properties-of-kerisi-surimi-biology-essay.php
5. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/227722650_Effect_of_water_washing_on_the_functional_and_rheological_properties_of_proteins_from_threadfin_bream_Nemipterus_japonicus_meat
6. https://sinarmutiaraabadi.co/blog/surimi-fish
7. https://egyankosh.ac.in/bitstream/123456789/9832/1/Unit-1.pdf
8. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/237393848_What_do_pelagic_freezer-trawls_discard
9. https://patents.google.com/patent/US20120064196A1/en
10. https://certificationandratings.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Surimi-Landscape-Report-Final-2.pdf
11. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10498850.2017.1316332
12. https://usa.oceana.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/PDF_Bycatch_July281.pdf