Naro scientists add value to fish by extracting oil

A Sample of the oil extracted from the Nile Perch by Naro scientists in Jinja. Photo by Lominda Afedraru.

What you need to know:

  • It is no longer business as usual where people consuming fish are expected to eat the flesh to get the nutrients. Now they can get the protein from the processed fish oil, writes Lominda Afedraru

This is the wise thinking of agricultural scientists at the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFRRI) in Jinja who have come up with an innovation to process fish oil to substitute cod liver oil which mothers and newly-born babies who may have stomach upset, can use.

Dr John Walakira, a research scientist in charge of innovations and post-harvest handling at the institute said the innovation was driven by the need to reduce fish wastage.

The Genesis
Dr Walakira explains that one of his scientist colleagues, Dr Victoria Namulawa, carried out a case study across the country and realised there is a lot of wastage in the value chain of Nile Perch fries.
“Those who are deep frying it end up wasting the fat and oil produced from it and even those who are extracting the fillet leave the oil in the bones wasted,” he says.

She decided that the wasted oil can be made into use because it contains omega acid which is cholesterol free and boosts the immunity against high blood pressure while boosting bone and brain development especially among children.

Processing exercise
Basing on the findings, the team decided to extract the oil from fried Nile Perch and from the bones which they purified to get omega acids.
“It is a matter of frying the fatty fillet and bones of Nile Perch which is filtered and packaged into bottles,” he adds.

The team is targeting to train women groups who fry Nile Perch for a living in extracting the oil to get extra income.

They are now at the stage of blending it with strawberry, vanilla and avocado to moderate the smell.
The next step is to make it into powder form and make capsules which people can purchase and simply swallow. They are in the process of acquiring the machine for processing the capsules.

According to Dr Walakira the market for the product is versatile and there is readily available Nile Perch from which oil can be extracted.
He contends that government is spending a lot of money importing cod liver oil which is also sold expensively to consumers, especially mothers who now have an alternative.

The team is now at the process of acquiring certificate from National Drug Authority and by 2021, the product will if approved, be available on a commercial level.
The initial product is packaged in 100ml bottles although the scientists are yet to determine the actual market price. The packaged product has been branded as Mpuuta Oil rich in Vitamin A and omega acid, with the oil comprising of 90 per cent of omega fats.

Other value added fish products
Dr Walakira and team are packing ready-made silver fish as snacks for consumption. The fish is cleaned, cooked and dried ready for packaging. The packaging is done in various quantities ranging from Shs1,000 – Shs5,000 depending on the quantity.

Others packages are in powder form which can be added to green vegetables and other foods such as beans.
The aim is to ensure consumers are able to purchase these products to get fish nutrients which are essential for the body. Since fish stock is dwindling and has become expensive in the open market, scientists are trying to make alternatives for the population.

Value addition
The Nile perch is a fish of substantial economic and food-security importance in East Africa. Recently, the biggest commercial use has been the sale of fish maws which continue to dominate the local and regional trade, where it is processed and exported by majorly Chinese companies as dry maw. Fish maw is the commercial term for the swim bladders of large fish like Nile perch. Maw worth $40m is reported to have been exported from Uganda in 2017. More research is being conducted in value addition to the Nile Perch.