Preserved Seafood is Crucial for a Thriving Fishing Industry
Fish is one of the most nutritious food sources on the planet, providing a range of essential vitamins, proteins, and minerals, such as iodine, necessary for thyroid function. Fatty species like sardines, tuna, and mackerel are rich in the fat-soluble Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids essential for optimal brain function and noted for their role in protecting the heart, vascular system, and lungs and boosting the immune system. Furthermore, fish are tasty. However, unless it is suitably preserved, seafood can quickly lose its appealing taste and most of those critical health-promoting benefits.
Should you enjoy a spot of fly fishing, you may be lucky enough to land a couple of trout and enjoy them pan-fried the same evening. Likewise, if you live in a fishing town, you can buy freshly landed kabeljou at the quayside early in the morning and cook it for lunch. However, consumers in the land-locked cities and towns will often only receive their fish weeks after it was caught. Fortunately, suitably preserved seafood will retain its delicious taste, its fresh appearance and texture, and all of its nutrient value.
The vast majority of fish caught is destined for factories. There it will undergo various forms of processing. Some species, like sardines and tuna, might be canned, while others, such as anchovies, might be bottled, formed into a paste, or used as a natural flavouring or salt substitute in other processed foods. Much of the remainder will be battered, breaded, or left untouched before being frozen, packaged, and distributed to supermarket chains. The shore-to-store supply chain is lengthy and, without adequately preserved seafood to work on, fish and its many tasty products would be far less appealing to consumers and might not even be safe for human consumption.
Part of the problem is that, in their natural habitat, fish provide a convenient host for bacteria and parasites, which generally cause them no harm. However, after the host’s death, those organisms remain active and cause degradation. In addition, various postmortem chemical processes can also lead to undesirable changes. Fish must, therefore, be cleansed of microorganisms and treated to inhibit natural decay. The resulting preserved seafood will retain both its visual appeal and nutritional benefits.
When purchased directly from a fishmonger’s slab, the distinctive odour is sufficient to determine whether it is fresh or not. However, when neatly packaged, consumers must rely on its appearance to assess its quality. More often than not, colour is the primary characteristic on which they tend to base that assessment. Lovers of prawns will judge quality by their pink and white flesh. However, crustaceans are subject to a postmortem process called melanosis that results in the formation of black spots. Unless suitably preserved, this seafood delicacy would be unsaleable, even though the blackened areas have no discernible effect on its taste or safety.
Conversely, deeply pigmented species, like red roman, are subject to fading, which, though harmless, also deters buyers. Catching fish is an expensive business sometimes paid for with crewmembers’ lives. The fishing industry could not survive without effective preservation techniques. Tequisa is a world leader in developing safe and effective additives to ensure that the natural colours, textures, and tastes of seafood are safely preserved.
