Well processed fish are beneficial to both consumers and processors as it does not affect consumers health and generates high income.
Proper fish packaging protects fish from damage insects, facilitates transportation and marketing. Additionally, proper fish parking and storage prolongs product shelf life. Usually bacteria and enzymes easily are the main cause of fish spoilage.
Measures to implement
Always, wash fish using clean good quality water to remove dirt and bacteria, fillet or split fish to remove inner parts that contain bacteria’s and enzymes. Additionally, dry fish well, apply salt to remove water and stop activities of bacteria‘s. Also smoke, fry, freeze fish to kill enzymes and bacteria‘s. Furthermore avoid dropping or throwing fish and keep them away from dirty surfaces. Also the fish processing area should be restricted to prevent contamination.
Ensure clearing vegetation around processing area to keep flies that carry bacteria away and regularly clean processing facilities. Also the fish processor should be clean. Lastly keep fish waste properly to avoid and never use insecticides or pesticides on fish during processing.
Packing and storage
Fish packaging materials must be clean and fit for use. Also ensure handling fish with care and avoid over parking them. Additionally, use proper labels to parked fish so as to attract more customers. Always store fish on pallets to in a clean, well ventilated, rain proof store and store fish to avoid contamination. Furthermore, ensure selling long stored fish first to avoid losses.
Improved processing
Always smoke fish using the right fuel to kill bacteria‘s and to avoid bad smell on final products. Smoke use for fish smoking should be filtered by raising smoking height, avoid high temperatures during smoking as well as cleaning the smoking equipment to to maintain fish quality. Furthermore prevent fish fats from dripping into smoking fire as this cause more smoke thus lowering fish quality
Always during fish smoking use trees, carpenter waste and also fry fish with clean cooking oil to produce quality fish and control spoilage respectively. Also protect fish products from dirt, dry fish on raised platforms while turning constantly while adding salt to stop activities of bacteria‘s.
