An amount of 200 kg fresh salmon frames were enzymic hydrolysed with the commercial protease mixture Protamex(TM), which is known to produce non-bitter hydrolysates. After the enzymic procedure the frames were separated by centrifugation into five fractions: an aqueous fraction rich in peptides, an insoluble fraction, an emulsion fraction, salmon oil and a bone fraction. Approximately 48% of total crude protein present in the salmon frames were found in the aqueous fraction, in which the lipid content was reduced to <0.1% in dry samples after ultramembrane filtration (UF fraction). The UF fraction was low in tryptophan, leucine and phenylalanine+tyrosine, but high in taurine. Nearly 19% of total crude protein present in the salmon frames were found in the insoluble fraction. This fraction was high in most of the indispensable amino acids. Approximately 77% of total lipids present in the salmon frames were isolated as salmon oil, which was high in both eicosapentaenic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenic acid (DHA). The bone fraction contained 62% of total ash present in the salmon frames and was high in the minerals Ca. P and Mg and also in the trace elements Cu, Fe, I, Mn, Se and Zn. All of the produced fractions were low in the undesirable substances As, Cd, Hg and Pb. For future studies the UF fraction and salmon oil might be interesting as health promoting agents. the insoluble fraction as dietary protein supplement and the bone fraction as dietary mineral supplement. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.