Abstract: A process for producing a proteinous material which comprises coarsely grinding fish bodies including bones and/or shells, from which the internals had been removed optionally together with heads and/or skins, defatting said coarsely ground fish bodies if required, and either (1) fermenting said coarsely ground fish bodies with an enzyme and/or a microorganism, inactivating said enzyme and/or microorganism and then finely grinding the fermented material; or (2) finely grinding said coarsely ground fish bodies, fermenting the same with an enzyme and/or a microorganism, and then inactivating said enzyme and/or microorganism; or (3) finely grinding said coarsely ground fish bodies while fermenting the same with an enzyme and/or a microorganism and then inactivating said enzyme and/or microorganism is disclosed.

Abstract: Protein food products or protein food materials in paste state are prepared by grinding the fish meat and treating the fish meat with proteolytic enzymes and/or protein digesting micro-organisms during and/or after grinding to change the properties of the protein contained in the fish meat to reduce or lose the gel forming ability of the protein contained in the fish meat, and food products in solid or spread are prepared by mixing animal and/or vegetable fats and/or oil sources and melting agents to the protein food materials in paste state, agitating the resulting mixture while heating to 50.degree..about.100.degree. C. to form homogeneous mixture and cooling the mixture.