ACCEPTABILITY OF MALAYSIAN FISHERY PRODUCTS Asiah M. Zain Universiti Pertanian Malaysia Serdang Selangor, Malaysia Abstract Malaysian fishery products are underutilized; they are considered to be poor man's food and are dis- criminated against by the upper strata of Malaysian consumers. The fishery products which are commonly consumed are dried and salted fish, 'ikan bilis' (dried anchovies), 'kerupuk' (fish crackers) and 'belacan' (shrimp paste) which are processed at the cottage indus- try level. They are easy to prepare, have a high protein content, are tasty and are inexpensive in terms of their protein content. Their consumption however is limited to regional and home levels. Reputable eating places do not serve dishes prepared from traditional fishery products. Malaysians in general shy away from serving these products to guests in their home. Lack of consumer acceptability of these products may be attributed to physical appearance, improper packaging, inadequate quality control, attitudes of the consumer, and insufficient knowledge of local recipes. These factors are discussed at length. Recommendations to improve the acceptability of these products and to promote their consumption are put forward. INTRODUCTION Malaysia depends largely on seafoods for its animal protein supply. Rice, being the staple diet, is generally accompanied by fish and fishery products. The increasing price of fish and the short supply of certain kinds of fish in the local markets are signs of a bleak future for the consumer. Unless positive and immediate steps are taken to ensure a stable supply of fish, the indusyy will face the problem of depletion and overexploitation with- in the 12 mi coastal zone (Ministry of Agriculture, 1977). Fish are consumed either fresh or processed. Processed products, however, though highly nutritious, are underutilized; they fail to attract the attention of the majority of Malaysian consumers. Generally, the local fishery products are considered as 'poor man's food', and seldom have the prestige of being served in reputable restaurants or to guests at home. What is wrong with our traditional fishery products? The main objective of this paper is to consider the acceptability of local fishery products and thegroblems associated with their low consumption. Suggestions will be made to encourage the processors to improve their products, and to facilitate the better utilization of local fishery products by consumers of every income group. LOCAL PRODUCTS Sundrying, salting and fermentation are the most common methods of fish preservation in Malaysia. There are efficient and low-cost methods; their limitations are the availability of raw materials and a market demand for the finished products. The common products are listed in Table 1. Methods of processing for some of these products have been discussed elsewhere (Idrus, 1977; Ismail, 1977a,b). Most of these products are regional and are identified with specific localities, Dried achovies, dried salted fish, dried cuttlefish, 'kerupdc', 'belacan' and canned fish, however, are familiar to most people but their consumer acceptance is poor. Unlike soy sauce, which is widely used in the Far East and is gaining popularity in the UX. and U.S.A. (Ismail, 1977a,b), Malaysian fishery products are discriminated against generally. A number of factors contribute to the present low acceptability of local fishery products; the following are thought to be important: (1) physical appearance; (2) improper packaging; (3) inadequate quality control; (4) attitudes of the consumer; and (5) insufficient knowledge of local recipes. Table I Fishery products of Malaysia Dried and salted Fermented Other products products products Dried salted fish of 'Belacan' Fish sausages different varieties (shrimp paste) 'Ikan bilis' 'Budu' Fish bails (dried anchovies) (Fish sauce) Dried salted shrimp 'Cincalok' Fish cakes (shrimp sauce) Dried cuttlefish 'Patis' or Canned products such 'Otak udang' as fish in tomato sauce (viscous shrimp sauce) (sardine,) prawns in chilli sauce, fish in curry 'Kerupuk' 'Pekasam' 'Serunding' (crackers and crisps) (fermented fish) (spicy fish flakes) Physicbl appearance of fishery products With foods, appearance is an important factor for consumer selection. The well known saying that food is not food until it is eaten indicates that food is meant to be consumed, failing which it will constitute a waste. Food will be left untouched and finally discarded if the appearance is not attractive to the consumers. The apearance of our local fishery products needs improvement. 'Patis', 'budu' belacan' and 'cincalok' have a very 'dull dark colour and this dull appearance does not stimulate the consumer to purchase these products at firm sight. Attempts have been made to improve the appearance by putting colour additives into belacan, kerupuk and cincalok. Rhodarnhe B (non prohibited) was used by some belacan processors to give an attractive pink colour to their products but this was questioned by the consumer association and, as a result, the use of this dye has been banned. The use of colour additives at the cottage industry level is left entirely to the discretion of the non-profes- sional processors. There is no control over the amount and the type used and, as a result, there is no uniformity in the finished products. Improper packaging Liquid products such as budu (fish sauce) and cincalok (shrimp sauce) are sold in bottles meant for soft drinks. It is common to see bottles of different sizes and shapes containing these products displayed in the shops. There is no product identity in terms of the container and its label. Patis, a viscous product (viscous shrimp sauce) is sold in wide-mouth bottles or in cigarette cans. Belacan which has a cheeseqike texture, is packed in baskets and sold in pieces. The belacan industry, how- ever, has made progress in packaging as compared to other cottage industries dealing with fishery products. Pro- cessors in the northern part of Malaysia now pack their products in plastic wrappers which are sealed and placed in packets. The product looks hygienic, is easy to handle and its disrinct aroma is not exposed. This improved packaging partly contributes to the increasing use of belacan. Dried salted fish are displayed unpackaged in the shops. At sale they are weighed and wrapped in used newspapers; even products with maggots seem to be acceptable. The moisture content for most dried salted fish is high, resulting in spoilage during storage. A moisture content of 25-50 percent is found in a variety of fish (Hanousek, 1970), but there is no standard for moisture content in dried salted fish. By selling products with a high moisture content a better profit is obtained. The drying process may however. continue in the shop in the upper layers which are exposed; the bottom layers usually show mould growth andlor putrefaction. Even at home the consumers frequently have to dry the product to avoid spoilage. Kerupuk (crackers) of various sizes, shapes, colour, and made from different kinds of fish are sold in plastic bags with little or no labelling at all. Inadequate quality control The need for quality control practices in the production of fishery products at the cottage industry level is very acute. The cleanliness of the utensils, the working conditions and personal hygiene are entirely at the mercy of the processors. The preparation of kerupuk and budu is carried out in the open air; the raw materials and ingredients are left exposed to flies and dust. The amount of each ingredient used is not standardized and the more business- minded processors use less fish and more of the other ingredients, such as starch, in the making of kerupuk. The finished product is sold at the same price irrespective of its origin and quality. Product uniformity is difficult to achieve since there is no standard method of processing. The products vary widely in their composition, consis- tency, colour, flavour and shape. Since most of these products do not face competition, the processors do not feel the urgency to improve the quality of the products. Support for the establishment of food quality control programmes by the small and intermediate factories is not very encouraging for economic reasons (Merican, 1976). Attitudes of the consumer Most of the local fishery products are characteristic of a particular area. It is believed that urban migration, to some extent, has an impact on the consumption pattern and food habits. Consumers, in general, consider the traditional products as poor man's food, probably because most of them are cheap. Hence, they are reluctant to serve dishes prepared from these products and prefer to serve their guests with more expensive foods prepared from meat, chicken, egg, fresh fish or shellfish. The consumption of local traditional products is restricted to home use for the family. Customers at middle-class eating places general- ly feel embarrassed to ask for traditional dishes like 'samba1 belacan' or 'ikan bilis', even though these are deli- cious. Consumers belonging to higher social strata usually do not include traditional dishes in their menu for local ditmer parties. However, two products (ikan bilk and belacan) are slowly gaining recognition. Ikan bilis, fried and made into titbits is available in some refreshment places and 'samba!' (pounded chilli sauce) of varying degrees of hot- ness is frequently served in restaurants. The recent availability of these dishes in public eating places may be attributed to the increasing price of ikan bilis, which suggests that it is not a low-class food; the packaging and appearance may have contributed to its acceptance. Generally the Malaysian consumer is not very critical of purchased products; if a product is not up to the level of a housewife's expectation, she would show her dissatisfaction only by buying the same product at a dif- ferent shop. Another alternative would be to accept the product at a cheaper price. It is doubtful whether Malay- sian consumers know their basic rights, that is, a right to be informed, a right to consumer education, a right to compensation against damages, a right to choose and a right to be heard.