Additives for Safe and Effective Fish Processing
Although you may live far from the nearest fishing port, rapid transport systems have made it possible to purchase fresh seafood from a fishmonger in most cities and large towns. Refrigerated railcars and vans deliver the stock, which is then packed in ice and will remain on display until purchased. Cooling is sufficient to maintain its quality for several days. However, most seafood caught is not destined to end up on a fishmonger’s slab. Instead, its destination will likely be a fish-processing plant where it will be cooked, canned, frozen, or incorporated into other products.
Different Fish-Processing Treatments
Different species may need to undergo different treatments. For example, herrings are often filleted and smoked to be sold as kippers. Haddock is also frequently smoked and is characterised by its distinctive yellow colour. In addition, salted, dried cod is perhaps better known as bacalao, a famous Portuguese delicacy. Smoking, drying, and salting may produce different textures and flavours, but these treatments have one property in common. Both processes act to preserve the foods they treat and extend their shelf-life, essential requirements in the fish-processing industry.
Unfortunately, seafood tends to deteriorate rapidly once removed from its natural marine habitat, and freezing merely delays the inevitable. Some of the deterioration will be due to post-mortem metabolic activities that might manifest as loss of texture, colour changes, and unpleasant odours. Although these changes might not render seafood unsafe, they are guaranteed to make it unsaleable. By contrast, bacteria on the skin of many species can sometimes include human pathogens. Consequently, steps to slow or halt metabolic degradation and eliminate superficial bacteria are essential prerequisites for effective fish processing and to ensure consumer safety.
Except for those already described, most other preservative treatments involve using a chemical additive to inhibit some form of undesirable change. This use of additives is not limited to treating seafood but extends to all types of food and includes flavourings, sweeteners, colourants, stabilisers, emulsifiers, and more. However, the fishing industry tends to rely more heavily on the benefits of preservative chemicals than most others. The increased use is due to the more unstable nature of marine tissue when no longer protected by seawater. That said, it is also crucial that all chemicals used in fish processing will cause the consumer no harm.
The Standards for Processing Fish
Several international authorities, including the European Union, World Health Organisation, and America’s Food and Drug Administration, have set standards defining permissible food additives and their use. Producers must comply strictly with these recommendations if they wish to market their products in countries governed by these measures. However, this was not always the case. For example, toxic and corrosive formaldehyde solutions were previously used to disinfect seafood but are now banned in most countries. Instead, today, most of the chemical additives used in fish processing are obtained from natural sources. Consequently, they should pose no threat to the consumer. Typical products include surface disinfectants and colour stabilisers.
Tequisa is recognised worldwide as a leader in food additive technology. We have developed over 100 products, and all are produced under strict quality control to comply with national and international regulations. You are welcome to download the datasheets for our world-class seafood additives if you are concerned about maintaining safety and quality in fish processing.
