A Survey of the Quality of Salt Cured Fish Produced in the Kanyakumari Disrict [I.E
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A survey of the quality of salt cured fish produced in the Kanyakumari Disrict [i.e. District], Madras State Item Type article Authors Srinivasan, R.; Joseph, K.C. Download date 29/09/2021 08:17:36 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/32040 A SURVEY OF THE QUALITY OF SALT CURED FISH PRODUCED IN THE KANYAKUMARI DISRICT, MADRAS STATE R. SRINIVASAN AND K. C. JOSEPH Fisheries Technological Station, Madras State. A survey of the quality of salt cured fish in Kanyakumari District, Madras State was done during the years 1963 and 1964 to obtain necessary basic information to formulate quality standards for these products which are gaining importance in the export trade. 155 trade samples of sun-dried, dry-salted, wet-cured and pit-cured fishery products were examined for their chemical quality and organoleptic characteristics. 26.5% of the sun-dried products, 25% of the wet cured fish, 55.21% of the dried salted products and none of the pit cured samples were found to be good in quality. The sun dried pro~ ducts were generally found to have heavy admixture of sand and were inadequately dried. The chief defects in the salt cured fish products were found to be the use of spoiled fish, imperfect cleaning and washing, use of impure salt, inadequate salting, curing and drying, and unhygienic conditions in all stages. Quality standards must be formulated for each variety of salt cured fish product and adequate measures taken to rectify the defects and enforce the quality standards. INTRODUCTION catches of 125 tonnes I km. of Coast in Madras State in 1957 (Barlind, 1958). Kanyakumari District is one of the About 13,040 tonnes of fish are annually seven coastal ctistricts of Madras State and landed in this district and the different has a coast-line of 65 km. extending from types of fish landed and their seasons are Leepuram, 2 km. to the east of Cape described in detail by Chacko and George Comorin to Noorodithuru in theWest (1958). About 80% of the catches are s:1lt Coast on the border of Kerala State. cured and a good portion of the cured It provides the short but rich fish products is exported to Ceylon and other landing West Coast for Madras State. South East Asian countries through It had the highest fishing population of Tuticorin port. Since the salt cured fish 22,969 and the highest average fish is gaining in importance in the export trade 103 of the country and the Government are the solar heat. During drying the fishes initiating measures for the quality control are turned occasionally, every two to three of all the marine products including dried hours, to ensure quick and uniform and salt cured fish, it was felt that a survey drying. After the first day's drying, the of the quality of the cured fish products partially dried fishes are gathered and in the trade would be helpful and provide heaped inside a godown or kept heaped in the necessary basic information required. the drying ground itself with a covering of Since a good portion of the dried salt palmyrah leaf mats. For the second day's cured fish in the export trade originated drying the fishes are spread in a thicker from Kanyakumari District, the survey was layer than on the first day. In Cape conducted by the authors in Kanyakumari Comorin area this is usually done on coir District during the years 1963 and 1964 mats. Generally the duration of drying is and the results of this survey are presented for two days. But when drying cannot be in this paper. completed owing to cloudy skies or driz~ zling, the final drying is completed on the FISH CURING PRACTICES third or fourth day. The methods of fish curing followed 2) Dry salting The method of dry in)he 1West Coast of the country have been described in general by Nicholson (1930), salting practised on this coast for a large Venkataraman and Vasavan (1958) and variety of fishes is the same in alJ the fish Krishna Pillai et. a/ (1956). villages; Trichiurus, Caranx, Lactarius, Dussumieria, Sharks, Serranus, Cvbium, The different methods of fish curing Arius, Lethrinus, Sphyraena, Leiognathus practised in Cape Comorin in particular Sp., Batistes, Chorinemus, Lutjanus, for the different varieties and sizes of fish Chiro=entrus, Histiophorus, Mackeral, have also been described in detail by Joseph Tuna etc., are the varieties most commonly and Srinivasan (under publication). So dry salted in the district. Large sized detailed clescriptions of the different types fishes are descaled and cut and split open of curing followed for different species of along the dorsal side with a sharp and fishes have been omitted inlll[this paper. pointed knife inserted just behind the head However the fish curing practices have and moved back to a point very near to the been recounted briefly for ready reference, caudal fin, so that the fish is split open, highlighting"'the variations ~in the methods the knife bracing the backbone which will practised. These methods may~be broadly be retained on the right half of the split classified as follows: fish. The entrails and gills are removed. Longitudinal cuts are made beginning from 1) Sun drying, near the tail so that the split fish is cut 2) Dry salting, and into strips 3 ems. to 5 ems. wide, but 3) Wet salting. without severing their connection at the tail end. These are then washed and 1. Sun drying: This method is salted. The salt: fish proportion varies employed for fishes such as white baits from 1 : 4 to 1 : 6 by weight, depending ( Anchoviella Sp.), Silver belly (Leiognathus upon the size of the fish and are then put Sp.), Round Scad (Decapterus Sp.) and into curing tubs. Cement cisterns, wooden small sized specimens of other varieties tubs and earthenware pots are in use for also. Drying is done by spreading the fish this purpose, wherein th0 salted fish catches on the beach sand or other open remains overnight. The self-brine formed grounds where the fishes get dried by during the interval is allowed to accumu~ 104 late in the curing tubs. The next day the leaf mats, the top is covered by mat. This fishes are washed in the self-brine and is now covered with a layer of soil of dried in the sun for two to three days. about one foot thickness. The covered The period under cure will vary from 12 pits are either weighted with large boulders to 24 hours depending upon the time of of stones or tread upon by the fishermen. landing the catches. Morning catches The self-brine formed in the salted fish remain under cure for the maximum placed in pits in this fashion is obsorbed period, until the next morning when they by the surrounding soil which is invariably are removed for drying. The drying is loose and sandy on the coastal areas where done on coir mats, palm leaf mats, or on this type of curing is in vogue. On the the ground itself. second day the fishes are subjected to a re-salting (Salt . Fish = 1 : 8) and restack For medium sized fish only the dorsal ing in the tub, pit, or heap as the case may slit is made and entrails removed, but they be. After three days thus under cure the are neither split open nor are their heads fishes are removed and packed in palmyrah cut off. For the smaller sized specimens leaf mats with a further sprinkling of salt no cutting is done; they are merely salted before being despatched to the market. and the rest of the curing is done as Lactarius Serranus, and Dussumieria are described above. the varieties found pit cured during the present survey. 3. Wet salting:- Curing by this method is practised for almost all varieties Quality of the cured fish products: of marine food fishes irrespective of size. Methods of Assay: Representative Serranus, Lethrinus, Lutjanus, Caranx, sam pies of cured fish were collected from Chorinemus, Arius, Trichiurus and Sharks the various fish curing yards, dried fish are the common fish cured by this method markets and shandies and from the in Kanyakumari District. Scales, where godowns of the dried fish merchants both present, are not removed unlike in the case in the Kanyakumari District and at of dry salting. A deep incision is made Tuticorin during the years I 963 and 1964. along the dorsal side with a sharp knife These were analysed chemically and orga inserted behind the back of the head being noleptically as per standard methods of moved to a point a few em. behind analysis already described by Joseph the rear end of the dorsal fin and the (1963). The chemical factors determined entrails are removed. The fishes are then were the percentages of moisture, sodium washed and salt packed inside the slit. chloride, total ash, acid insolubles, total The ratio of salt: fish at this stage will be volatile basic nitrogen and trimethylamine about 1 : 4 by weight. The salted fish is nitrogen, all on the original moisture basis. now either placed in tubs or pits or simply The quality of the products was also heaped on the floor to remain for two to organoleptically adjudged on the basis of three days with more salt being sprinkled their appearance, texture, flavour, odour, over each layer of fish while packing. In fungal attack and insect infestation, if any, the ca~e of fish cured in tubs or heaps on and classified accordingly as good, fair, the floor, the selfbrine formed during this poor and unfit for human consumption.