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Code of Practice of Salted Fish for

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the Egyptian Red Sea Coast

THE UNITED

RAB I 81 I 002IINT/19

Development of Fisheries in Areas of the Red Sea

and Gulf of Aden

C'8.iro/Egypt

Code of Practice of Salted Fish for

the Egyptian Red Sea Coast

Prepared by Dr .. Zakaria Ez El Din

Fish Technologist

March 1984

INTP.ODUCTION

DEFINITIO~S

1. Salting I'ish on Board

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

Construction of the Fishing Boat

Eygienic RequirenJents

F..andling of Fish on Board

Equipment and Utensils Used on Salting

Salting Fish on Shore

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.5

2.6

2.7

2.8

Design and Construction of the Plant

Hygienic RequirenJents

Equipments and Utensils Used in Salting

Hygienic Operating Requirements

I::llildling of Raw Materials

Operating Practices and Production P..equirements

2.6.1 General Considerations

2.6.2

2.6.3

2 .6 .4

2.6.5

2.6.6

Salt Requirements

Brining and Pickling

Pickling

Salting of Fish by Pickling and Brining

Dry-Salting

Product Specifications

Packing, Storage and Distribution

5

5

5

7

8

9

9

10

11

12

13

15

15

16

17

17

19

19

20

20

c::DDE OF PRACTICE OF SALTED FISH

FDR THE EGYPTIAN RED SEA c::DAST

ABSTRACT

Sal ting is one of the methods used for preserving fish. This \vay -was used for so many years ago due to lack of transportation and huge distance between areas of landing fish and tis marketing, due also to lack of ice, and refregeration facilities. Inspite of the technology of preserving fish, the consumer is insisting and demanding salted fish specially during religious and national festivals such as Sham El Nessim and the first day of Bairam.

In these occasions, prices are al-ways higher.

The method of salting fish is different from one place to another, according to the consumers' preference and taste. Sori18 people used to eat salted fish prepared from putrified fresh fish with a little amount of salt, \Vhile others in Upper Egypt used to eat heavily salted fish during sum.mr season to compensate the loss of salt, by sweat, during hard work.

The method of salting fish along the Egyptian Red Sea Coast is done traditionally on board during fishing trips \Vhich may last two to three nnnths near the Sudanese borders mere they fish nullets and salt it.

The quality of salted fish produced in the Egyptian Red Sea reflects:

(i) The absence of technological irr\provements in the processing method, and

(ii) The unhygienic conditions under \Vhich salted fish is produced, stored, transported and marketed.

This code of practice for salting fish have been written as a guiae for the people who works in fish salting industry. It includes the technical guidelines and main practical needs to produce a better quality salted fish.

These guidelines depends on our field observations on the traditional n18thods for handling and processing fish, also on the laboratory analysis of salted fish before marketing. Results shov>'s that it contains high value of fatty acids ( 18 .60 rrg/gr) \Vhich indicates fat rancidity and shmvs also high value of free volatile nitrogen (2.80 rrg/gr) v/nich indicates that salting -was carried out after fish vvas spoiled.

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The code of practice comprises

i.

ii.

iii.

iv. ~ r v •

i.fl.

vi 2-.

viii_.

definitions of 25 terms which relate to fish processing,

salting of fish on board and on shore,

hygienic requirements essentials during handling and preparation of the raw materials,

handling of fish on board and in the processing area,

different methods of salting fish,

equipment and utensils used for preparation and salting

fish,

specification of ~he final product,

and requirements during packing, storage and transportation of salted fish.