Seafood Quality Control and Why It Is Important
The sea has long provided a rich source of food for humanity, and in some countries where raising livestock is impractical, fish is the staple diet and the primary source of animal protein. More recently, many people have become concerned about their cardiac health, forsaking their T-bone steaks in favour of pelagic fish with its high content of polyunsaturated fat. However, consumers, in general, are also becoming more conscious of the need for seafood quality control (QC) in light of repeated reports regarding widespread pollution of the world’s oceans.
There was a time when men and women flocked to the quays in the early hours of the morning to purchase fresh fish directly from the boats as it was landed. Today, even the people of land-locked towns cities, hundreds or even thousands of kilometres from the nearest fishing port can now enjoy that same freshness thanks to the combination of an efficient supply chain with stringent seafood quality control measures.
Undoubtedly, the most important of these QC measures relate directly to consumer safety, such as the mercury content of tuna. More generally, though, health authorities’ primary concern tends to be the number and type of bacteria and other microorganisms that might be present in fish and fish products. National authorities often publish directives defining acceptable bacterial counts with which the fishing industry must comply. Generally, salting and refrigeration are sufficient to inhibit bacterial growth on board, but seafood quality control must include bactericidal measures before sale to the consumer.
While there can be no doubt that consumers have become more health-conscious in recent years, any marketing specialist will tell you that the appearance of a product will frequently influence a purchaser far more than a string of superlatives extolling its many benefits. You don’t need to read the spec sheet to fall in love with a Ferrari. The same is true of fish. Regardless of its health benefits, if it doesn’t look right, nobody will buy it. That’s why seafood quality control is now as much about the colour, texture, taste, and smell of a product as it is about whether it’s safe to eat.
Fish is no longer a cheap foodstuff. It costs a lot to catch, land, process and distribute it and the last thing the industry needs is some visible anomaly that might induce the consumer to reject it. Would you eat a prawn that showed signs of blackening? Probably not, and you may even consider shopping elsewhere in the future. In the absence of suitable seafood quality control measures, blackening of the flesh of prawns and other crustaceans is a natural post-mortem process due to the oxidation of metal ions on exposure to air. While the effect may be harmless, it can render a high-end product unsaleable, leading to financial loss.
Similar measures are available to preserve the characteristic colour, texture and taste of most edible fish species and involve treatment with specially-formulated additives. Another feature of seafood quality control is that all such additives must comply with the standards set by various regulatory bodies. Tequisa offers a comprehensive range of fully-compliant additives from numerous outlets on the Southern African coast.
