Controversial ‘fish milk’ touted as a drink option for children

They are truly in uncharted waters.

The coastal country of Indonesia is milking its abundance of fish to make up for a drastic shortage of cows for programs like school lunches.

As local fishermen off the coast of Indramayu town haul in loads of horsefish, they are sent twice a day to a factory to be deboned and ground into a fine, white, protein-packed powder.

Later, the sea milk is brought to another facility for a sugary strawberry or chocolate flavor, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Conveniently, the powder just needs to add water.

“It just tastes like normal milk, at least to me,” said manager Mafatihul Khoiri of milk producer Berikan Protein Initiative, which started distribution last year.

Local media reports have discussed the topic of fish as the Southeast Asian country’s school lunch programs are discussed in the new year. It’s touted there as a good source of protein, and experts hope fish milk could win a $4.5 billion industry that employs 200,000 people, according to the Journal.

The unorthodox idea of ​​incorporating fish nutrients into everyday life is nothing unique to the area, which is looking for answers to combat the shortage of cows.

Fish collagen is a typical protein used in the United States for skin care, and the European Union hired scientists to find a way to remove the chemicals that cause the strong marine smell of salmon protein powder last year.

Rasmus Ree, a researcher with the EU-funded Norce research institute, said what Indonesia is fishing for “is something that would be beneficial and hopefully economically sustainable”.

Milk consumers have also not expressed intolerance to its taste. A 23-year-old named Rosaedah even declared it “delicious!” after drinking the drink on three occasions.

However, some nutrition experts are bitter about the concept for reasons related to ultra-processing mixed with sugar and artificial sweeteners. Domestically, the Jakarta Post also called fish milk “more of a political distraction than a meaningful nutritional intervention.”

Even Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin believes there are other ways to manage the cattle shortage.

“We can raise cows… Or we can import the milk from Australia. Or we could buy an Australian cow company or a dairy company,” he told the Journal.

“There are many, many, many options to do before we milk the fish,” he said.