KENAI, Alaska — A Soldotna man wants to take a bite out of the sausage industry with a breakfast sausage made of wild Alaska salmon.

Fred West, president of Sea Products, aims to appeal to consumers' health interest with a salmon-sausage patty made to taste like a pork-sausage patty.

The sausage comes uncooked and ready to be formed and tossed in a frying pan. It's made entirely of Alaska salmon and a blend of spices, he said, but no preservatives.

West started his career smoking salmon in Westport, Grays Harbor County.

After visiting friends in Alaska, he sold his business and moved north, where he started the Tustumena Smokehouse, the retail portion of Sea Products.

Retreating to his kitchen with John Hollis, his brother-in-law, he emerged with his first sausage product about six years ago.

More recently, he made numerous versions of breakfast patties, tested them on his in-laws and decided on the Italian and Spicy Sage flavors.

Now he has embarked on a mission to show Americans they can eat omega-3 rich salmon sausage for breakfast.

It has not been an easy road. At first he had to beg distributors to taste his sausages.

"It was a tough sell and still is a tough sell," he said.

West also has created Wild Dogs: hot dogs made of wild Alaska salmon.