ABSTRACT
In Africa salting and drying of fi sh for preservation is accompanied by fermentation, but the period is short and the product is not transformed into a paste or sauce. Although fermented fi sh products are a good source of protein, they can be consumed only in limited quantities because of the high salt content of these products. Fermentation of fi sh is especially used in situations where drying of fi sh is not possible because the climate is too wet and where cooling and sterilization of the product is too expensive. In this chapter, three important traditionally fermented fi sh and fi sh products for human consumption, i.e., fi sh sauce, fi sh paste and dried/ salted fi sh have been discussed with special emphasis on the microbiology, biochemical compositions and food safety.
