Contribution of Dried Fish to Food and Nutrition Security in Sri Lanka: A review

Dried fish is a widely consumed dietary source of macro and micronutrients, especially in low- and middle-income households. It is a pool of bioavailable high-quality animal protein with essential amino acids, essential minerals, vitamins, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Dried fish is generally acceptable to all regardless of region, religion, race, gender, and age across Sri Lanka. However, the role of dried fish production had been rarely elaborated on food and nutrition security in Sri Lanka. Therefore, this review aimed at delivering an overview of the contribution of dried fish towards food and nutrition security in Sri Lanka together with nutritional value of fish and dried fish products. The aim of dried fish production is to deliver a safe and wholesome final product to the consumer by preserving fish facilitating long shelf life. Sun drying, salting and drying, and smoked drying are the main dried fish processing methods. The contribution of dried fish is high in poor and marginalized communities in Sri Lanka. Dried fish provides a significant proportion of affordable and readily available animal protein to a large segment of the people in the country. Adequate emphasis should be given to enhance the dried fish production to meet the requirements. More investments are necessary to enhance the production of safe and quality dried fish.