Keeping quality of imported dried fish

All imported salted, dried fish samples tested had a salt content below 30% and above 12% and hence met requirements of the proposed standard. Also samples without quality cut tested had a greater salt content than that with quality cut. This indicates that salt contributes to protecting dried fish and hence may be endorsed by sensory evaluation to a certain extent. Samples with quality cut had more moisture than that without quality cut. But all samples with and without quality cut had a moisture content greater than 35% which is the maximum moisture content for such species specified in the standard. Microbiological testing for total counts and Coliform contents too showed that good quality dried fish had counts greater than that specified in the standard. The different species of fish tested had varying lengths of shelf life. But on an average the shelf life of dried fish could be prolonged for about 12 days by re-drying at 45°C for 6 hours, i.e., re-drying at these temperatures without subsequent packing in polythene bags may not be practical for prolonging the storage life of salted/dried fish