Introduction Dried Keropok or Keropok Kering is a very popular and well known delicacy in Malaysia and other Asian

countries. During the early 1970s, keropok kering production in Peninsular Malaysia is usually confined to the coastal fishing areas along the east coast states which are Kelantan and Terrenganu (Siaw & Yu, 1985). However, due to its increasing demand as well as the accessibility of technology, the production has been expanded Pahang, Kedah and Johor where there are more than 100 small-scale processors are engaged in this business ( Huda et al., 2010). Keropok kering is traditionally produced by the principles of starch gelatinization, which is achieved through steaming. It is made by forming dough from a mixture of starch (sago flour or tapioca flour), minced fish (from the flesh of either freshwater or marine fish), salt, sugar, monosodium glutamate, and water. The dough is then moulded or shaped, cooked, cooled, sliced and dried. Before consumption, the dried slices are fried in hot oil, which causes keropok kering to expand into a porous, low-density product (Kyaw et al.,2001) which are ready to eat as snack food or together with rice or other dishes. In Malaysia, most of the keropok kering industries are still follow the traditional manufacturing practices, which may lead to variations in the quality of product produced. Nevertheless, a standard on the specification for dried crackers from freshwater and marine fish, crustacean and molluscan shellfish has been developed by the working group on Marine Foods - Fresh and Processed in Malaysia as a guideline for all keropok kering manufacturers and interested parties. This is to ensure the quality and safety of the product and thus protect the public against health hazard and fraud in the preparation, packaging and labelling of keropok kering.

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