Fish Milk Shocking, When Will It Start Researched And Introduced In Indonesia?

Fish milk (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - The emergence of fish milk innovation has recently become a topic of conversation on social media. Moreover, this fish milk is predicted to be an alternative animal milk in Prabowo Subianto's elected president's Free Nutrition Food program.

Then, what is the origin of this fish milk?

The Director General of Strengthening the Competitiveness of Marine and Fishery Products (PDSPKP) KKP, Budi Sulistyo, revealed that the fish milk, which is an alternative to the free nutritious food program, has been researched since 2017.

Budi said the researchers, including the BRIN Marine and Land Bioindustry Research Center, had finally succeeded in finding the fish protein hydrolicity (HPI), a fish protein extract that became the basis for further development.

"It was 2017 that fellow researchers, one of whom was Mrs. Ekowati Chasanah (BRIN researcher), had succeeded in finding HPI which is the extract of fish protein," he said in a media briefing at the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP), Jakarta, written Wednesday, September 18.

Budi explained that HPI's discovery was the first step in an effort to make wider use of fish protein in various food products. Then research on HPI continued, until 2021 the research team succeeded in developing HPI into fish milk products.

In 2023, continued Budi, fish milk was officially introduced or launched by the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries together with the Minister of Cooperatives and SMEs.

"Friends in 2021 have succeeded in finding or serving this HPI into fish milk. And in 2023, this fish milk has been introduced or launched," he said.

Fish Milk Can't Replace Cow Milk

Meanwhile, Expert Researcher at the Center for Marine and Land Bioindustry Research BRIN Ekowati Chasanah said that fish milk, which is a derivative of the fish protein hydrolicity (HPI), cannot replace protein from cow milk.

"HPI is not actually meant to replace cow's milk. I'm talking about hydrolisate, which is a raw material called fish milk earlier. It doesn't mean to replace 100 percent. Because it's only a few percent," he explained.

Furthermore, Ekowati explained that fish milk can only be used as an additional alternative that offers nutritional and protein benefits.

"HPI serves as an alternative or addition that offers special nutritional benefits from fish protein," he said.

Ekowati said HPI is suitable for consumption for people who are currently recovering. This includes people who are intolerant of lactose.

"So HPI yes, complete. For now, apart from stunting, it is proven that it is also for people who are sick, it is highly recommended because it was absorbed quickly. Then also for those who are intolerant, this is because there is no lactus," he said.

Even so, Ekowati did not deny that the amount of calcium in fish milk is not equivalent to cow's milk. For fish, he said, it is the best to eat it directly. However, improper fish management will actually eliminate the nutritional and protein content contained in it.

"Why don't you just eat fish? The problem is, fish are easily damaged compared to other high proteins. Then if the processing is not right, for example fried with high heat, those are some amino acids that we hope to supply what the body needs are damaged. So the processing effect is very important to maintain iron," he explained.