Abstract
Fish roe is considered as a highly valuable flavor food in international and domestic markets. Several types of roes from different fish species have been processed into shelf-stable products. Processed fish roe products are available in different forms, including refrigerated or frozen caviar from sturgeon, lightly salted roe (popular as black caviar) from beluga, osetra, and imperial. Physicochemical characteristics such as size, color, proximate composition, fatty acids, antioxidants (vitamins and carotenoids), as well as microbiological profiles of fish roe and its processed products are important since these factors will influence the quality and consumer perceptions of the products. Consumer demand for natural and nutritious processed fish products is gaining more attention, which drives opportunities to add commercial value and improve the functionality of unprocessed roe. Therefore the development of technologies to characterize compounds, including physicochemical properties and other microbiology attributes from fish processing by-products is relevant and brings great value. This chapter will contribute to building a current frame of the scientific knowledge on the roe processing and compositional changes, helping to support future developments in this important by-product of the fish processing industry.