A Review of fish value-added products in Kenya: Current status, challenges and areas for improvement
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Date
2025-03
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SUSTAINABLE AQUATIC RESEARCH
Abstract
Fish products are essential to Kenya’s economy and nutrition, yet their high perishability limits their accessibility and export potential. Developing fish value-added products—such as fish samosas, sausages, fillets, and powders— presents a promising solution, potentially enhancing resource utilization, reducing waste, and expanding markets. Despite contributing approximately 0.6% to Kenya’s GDP and supporting over 1.2 million livelihoods, the fish sector remains underutilized due to limited value addition. This review provides the first comprehensive synthesis of Kenya’s fish value-added sector—bridging fragmented insights on product types, technologies, economic potential, and policy gaps—offering a practical foundation for informed decision-making and investment. Key products included in this review are samosas, fillets, sausages, fish balls, smoked fish, fish oils, burgers, and soups, alongside primary processing techniques such as improved smoking kilns, Mama Karanga boxes, chilling, and freezing. The review followed the PRISMA framework to systematically identify, screen, and analyze relevant peer-reviewed articles, grey literature, and government reports. Out of 625 initially identified documents, 64 high-quality sources were included in the final synthesis. Results show that value-added products such as fish fingers, sausages, and samosas are increasingly preferred due to their profitability, consumer appeal, and potential to reduce post-harvest losses. However, their development is hindered by weak market linkages, poor regulatory and quality controls, limited access to technology, inadequate policy support, and limited awareness among consumers and producers. Increasing consumer and producer awareness through training, improved market information systems, and accessible financing options could stimulate growth of the fish value addition sector. This paper’s insights underscore the need for strategic interventions to unlock the potential of Kenya’s fish value-added sector, fostering livelihood enhancement and food security. Implementation of targeted programs and policies can transform the fisheries and aquaculture sector into a robust contributor to the country’s economic resilience and community well-being.
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Citation Kyule, D., Munguti, J., Muthoka, M., Opiyo, M., Abwao, J., Maundu. A. (2025). A Review of fish value-added products in Kenya: Current status, challenges and areas for improvement. Sustainable Aquatic Research, 4(1), 116-142.