Seafood Preservation Technology and its Importance to Our Food Supply
Once humans began to adopt a more nomadic lifestyle, they needed to find ways to ensure that fish caught in distant rivers and seas would not deteriorate and could sustain them during their increasingly long journeys. Though less inclined to travel far from their homes, dwellers in arctic regions soon discovered that the preservative qualities of snow and ice could limit the need to hunt for food as often. Smoking and sun drying served a similar purpose for those based elsewhere. While these methods are effective, more sophisticated seafood preservation technology has become essential to meet the massive demand from a world population rapidly approaching eight billion.
Although fishing ports are numerous, most of those consumers who enjoy the fruits of the sea live inland, often hundreds of kilometres or more from the sea. Not only does fish often spend long periods aboard a trawler before it arrives onshore, but it must also survive the subsequent journey to retailers and processing plants.
Only a tiny portion of that eaten is purchased fresh from a fishmonger’s slab. The bulk is destined for factories where it is canned or frozen and packed for sale in supermarkets. Without modern seafood preservation technology, only those fortunate enough to live near the quayside would be privileged to enjoy the many tasty delicacies trawled from the world’s seas.
Despite the best efforts of humans to flood the oceans with plastic and other pollutants, seawater offers its residents some important preservative properties. In this complex ecosystem, the varied lifeforms must maintain a balanced existence in which markedly different species often depend on one another for survival.
Fish provide a safe breeding ground for bacteria and other microorganisms that pose no threat whilst protected by saltwater. Once landed, seafood preservation technology is essential to inhibit the post-mortem growth of any potential pathogens.
While bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and others can cause severe food poisoning, many of the non-pathogenic organisms that commonly colonise fish pose no threat to health. However, some of these are responsible for post-mortem changes in the characteristics of marine species that can often lead consumers to question their freshness. For example, the blackening phenomenon, sometimes seen in prawns and other crustaceans, can be offputting but is readily preventable with the appropriate seafood preservation technology.
In this example, a manufactured additive containing approved food-grade antioxidants, such as citric acid and sodium metabisulphite, is the solution. The active ingredients work by inhibiting the post-mortem action of oxidative enzymes on the amino acid tyrosine that causes the discolouration known to the fishing industry as melanosis.
By contrast, some intensely pigmented species, such as red roman, tend to lose their natural colouring once landed. In the case of cod and hake, consumers tend to base their quality assessment on the characteristic pristine white flesh. In some instances, oxidative changes may cause sourness. Fortunately, seafood preservation technology offers practical solutions for each of these problems and more.
Tequisa is an acknowledged leader in this crucially important field. The company uses high-quality, safe, internationally approved ingredients in its products, which currently number more than 100. In South Africa and wherever people enjoy fish, the industry relies heavily on the power of Tequisa’s advanced seafood preservation technology.
