Fish is consumed globally as an important part of our diet. It is therefore widely distributed across countries around the world. At the same time, fish is at a greater risk of spoilage, so great care must be taken to safely handle all fish products to reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses and ensure that product quality is not compromised. When it comes to preserving fish for distribution, there are several methods that can be used.
- Flash Freezing: This is one of the most popular and most effective methods for long-term preservation of fish and seafood. Flash freezing means that the fish is frozen at -40 degrees Celsius immediately after harvesting. This helps seal nutrients, flavor, texture and quality and retains the optimum freshness of seafood without the need for any additional preservatives. Maxifoods offers a wide selection of frozen fish fillets, the range of which you can see here (Frozen Fish Fillets).
- Drying/Dehydration: This is the oldest known method of preserving perishable food items, particularly fish. It is also considered the least expensive method of preservation. While both drying and dehydration involves the removal of water content from the fish body, drying is usually done in the open air using solar energy. Dehydration is a more modern method of drying, and is practiced under controlled conditions of air temperature, humidity, etc.
- Salting: This process involves the use of sodium chloride as a preservative to penetrate the fish tissues to stop bacterial growth and inactivate enzymes. Another ancient process that has been used for centuries, it is particularly popular for fish such as sardines, mackerel, seer fish, and prawns
- Pickling: Similar to salting, pickling is the preservation of fish by immersion in an acidic solution that is usually salted. This is a popular method that many people choose to do at home with fresh fish (Fresh Fish). Some seafood such as cuttlefish, squid and octopus (Squids & Octopus) must be tenderized and parboiled prior to pickling
- Smoking: Smoked fish is one of the oldest types of preserved fish, and continues to remain popular. This is because it is an affordable way to preserve fish, as well as a tasty one – smoked fish or shellfish can be infused with many other flavors that are appealing to consumers. Maxifoods Smoked Fish selection includes marinated sliced trout and smoked kabayaki unagi. (Smoked Marinated Fish)
- Canning: Canned fish is commercially sterile fish in hermetically sealed containers, and spoilage is averted through heat. This preserves and extends shelf life for many types of fish and seafood products.
No matter what type of preservation is used, it is always important to ensure safe handling at every step, and that all quality standards are met, so that consumers can enjoy safe and hygienic fish and fish products. At Maxifoods, we maintain all high standards of quality and cleanliness, and have been certified by several international bodies. (Standards & Certifications)
