The Need for Seafood Preservation and The Processes Involved
Despite the growing threat posed by pollutants, the sea continues to bless humanity with an abundant source of nutrition. Just as farmers harvest the crops from their fields, the bounty of the sea is gathered by fishermen, some in small boats and others in giant factory trawlers with onboard processing facilities. Once landed, some of the catch will end up in restaurants and homes, ready for cooking. Today, however, a large proportion of the seafood caught will undergo some form of preservation before it can be supplied to consumers.
The idea of preserving fish is certainly not a new one and it is only the methods used and the purpose of the exercise that has changed. In ancient times, this was achieved in a variety of ways, including pickling, salting, smoking, and drying. Even today, some of these methods are still practised. One example is the cold smoking of herrings with smouldering oak chips to produce kippers. However, the wide range of products now available has seen seafood-preservation methods become more sophisticated.
While the core purpose of treating the fish is still to prevent ant spoilage that might otherwise result from bacterial activity, modern methods also focus on aspects such as maintaining its natural texture, colour, and flavour while also extending its shelf life. In addition to the basic preparation and cleansing stages, today’s processing methods frequently include the use of chemical additives. These are responsible for maintaining or enhancing the appearance of the fish and improving its long-term storage characteristics.
Needless to say, the various chemical additives used to ensure adequate preservation of seafood must conform to the highest standards of health and safety. Consequently, the companies that produce them are required to employ strict quality-control procedures that comply with the high standards set by international regulatory bodies such as the World Health Organisation, America’s Food and Drug Administration, and the European Union.
One of the world’s leading producers of chemical additives for use in seafood preservation is the Spanish company Tequisa. Based on the experience gained over more than 30 years, we now supply high-quality products to more than 1000 companies worldwide and has maintained a presence in South Africa since 1995. In our efforts to raise the benchmark in this vital aspect of modern food technology, Tequisa has been responsible for the development of more than 100 products for use in the food industry.
Among our company’s vast array of products are several additives ideally suited to the local market, such as TQI Melacide P/4 ST. This is a seafood-preservation agent that is used to prevent melanosis or blackening and which, therefore, helps to preserve the natural colour of crustaceans such as crayfish, prawns, and crab. Another additive, TQ1 Anpex Glass 30PT, can be used to prevent the glaze on some frozen fish products from becoming shattered and spoiling its visual appeal.
Other products act to remove superficial bacteria from all fish species or to whiten them and stabilise their colour. There is even an additive to remove the sour taste of giant squid. The appearance, flavour, and safety of fish products are all important to the consumer and Tequisa’s seafood-preservation technology ensures that the very highest standards are maintained.
