Storage of Sea food
Preservation methods are frequently applied to seafood products to extend their shelf life and
provide more favorable product storage conditions that are otherwise unachievable with fresh
products. Processes such as smoking, salting, marinating, canning, drying and fermenting are
commonly adopted to control the growth of pathogenic bacteria in seafood products by
modifying one or a combination of the following product characteristics:
• Water activity
• Salt content
• pH
• Microbial composition
Before the invention of refrigeration and freezing, the high spoilage rates of fresh seafood
captured in large quantities limited the opportunity for coastal communities to engage in trade
with these products. Smoking, salting and air drying were processes traditionally adopted by
these communities to prevent the degradation of these products.Preservation processes
represent the traditional strategy for processing fishery products, and today represent a large
segment of premium value-added seafood products due to the differentiated processing and
packaging that is attractive to both the modern and traditional seafood consumer.
Common Seafood Preservation
Methods
Where preserved fishery products are sold and marketed, they must follow strict processing and
packaging controls to ensure their compliance and safety for consumption. To support
producers of these products globally, standards and guidelines for the production of preserved
fish and seafood products have been developed and are freely available in the Codex
Alimentarius.
Definitions of Traditional Seafood
Preservation Techniques:
● Canning is a process of treating foods packed in hermetically sealed containers and
shall have received a processing treatment sufficient to ensure commercial sterility.
● Drying is a process in which the moisture content in the fish is decreased to the
appropriate required characteristics under controlled hygienic conditions.
● Salting is a process of treating fish with salt of food-grade quality to lower water activity
in fish flesh and enhance the flavour by any appropriate salting technology (e.g., dry
salting, brining, injection salting).
● Smoking is a process of treating fish by exposing it to smoke from smoldering wood or
plant materials. This process is usually characterized by an integrated combination of
salting, drying, heating and smoking steps in a smoking chamber.
Storage of Sea food
Store Seafood Properly
● Finfish should be stored in the refrigerator and used within 1 to 2 days after purchase.
It’s a good idea to store it on ice in the refrigerator to keep it as cold as possible. If the
fish won’t be used within 2 days, wrap it tightly in moisture-proof bags (so the fish won’t
dry out) and store it in the freezer.
● Shellfish, such as mussels, clams and oysters that are purchased live in their shells,
should be put in a shallow pan (no water), covered with moistened paper towels and
refrigerated. Mussels and clams should be used within 2-3 days and oysters within 7-10
days. Shucked shellfish can be placed in a sealed container and frozen. Live lobsters
and crabs should be cooked the day they are purchased.
Handle and Prepare Seafood Properly
All foods, including seafood, must be handled and prepared in a clean area to avoid
cross-contamination. Always remember to keep your hands, preparation area and utensils
clean. Never let raw seafood come in contact with already cooked or ready-to-eat foods (e.g.
salads, fruit, smoked fish). Whether you are storing fresh fish or thawing frozen fish in your
refrigerator, make sure that the juices from raw seafood do not drip onto food that has already
been cooked or food that will not be cooked. Marinades are great for seafood but should not be
saved and used as a sauce unless the marinade has been cooked to a temperature of at least
165°F to eliminate microorganisms from the raw fish. Always marinate in the refrigerator in a
glass or plastic container. Never serve cooked seafood on a plate that held the raw product
without proper cleaning. Store leftovers, properly wrapped, in the refrigerator within 2 hours.
Bacteria will grow rapidly in the temperature “Danger Zone” of 40-140°F so keep hot food above
140°F and cold food below 40°F.
