Fresh seafood must be treated differently than beef, pork, lamb, poultry and other meat products for three reasons. Fish and shellfish lack the tough muscular fiber of land animals. They are accustomed to a very moist environment and the water temperatures of many fish and shellfish habitats are cold, often just above freezing. Consequently, fresh seafood must be handled with care, while being kept cool and moist. Rough handling or improper storage can severely damage fresh seafood products.
Fresh-caught fish smells like a clean ocean breeze and its flesh is firm, moist, and flavorful. Strong "fishy" smells are clues that bacteria and enzymes are at work. The spoilers of fresh seafood quality -- bacteria, enzymes, dehydration, oxidation, contamination, and physical damage -- will strike whenever they are given an opportunity.
Bacteria and enzymes (proteins that aid in digestion) are present in all fish and shellfish, but their activity increases at higher temperatures and in areas where nutrients such as blood, slime, and scales accumulate. These spoilers break down the flesh of fresh fish, turning firm, resilient tissue soft and mushy.
Mishandling of whole, fresh fish ruptures blood vessels and causes bruising. A blood-spotted fish fillet will not appeal to your customer. Bruised fish flesh has a strong "fishy" taste and odor. The presence of blood in bruised fish also speeds up the oxidative process. Oxidation occurs when oxygen mixes with the fish's fats and oils and leads to rancidity.
Beating the Spoilers
The formula for beating quality-spoilers is very simple: Keep fresh seafood clean, cool, moist, and moving. Handle fresh seafood with care and pay close attention to temperatures and sanitation.
The following are guidelines for safe handling of fresh fish and seafood:
- Incoming shipments should be moved to the cooler as quickly as possible.
- Maximum product life can be obtained by holding fresh seafood at 30 degrees to 34 degrees F and frozen products at -10 degrees F or colder. Temperature fluctuations are particularly important. For example, seafood held at 50 degrees F will spoil five times faster than product held at 32 degrees F. Even the difference of a few degrees can be critical. A good rule of thumb to remember is that product shelf life is cut in half by every 10 degrees F increase in temperature.
- Sanitation is critical in seafood operations. Cooling fresh fish to 32 degrees F only slows down the destructive activities of bacteria and enzymes, and the activity of enzymes speeds up as temperatures increase. Bacteria multiply in proportion to the temperature and available food supply.
- If a work table isn't thoroughly cleaned, bacteria will multiply rapidly. The bacteria strike quickly when they come in contact with another piece of seafood. If the kitchen has unpleasant odors, it usually means there's a gap in the sanitation efforts.
- Follow rotational policies closely. Fresh seafood always should be handled on a "first-in, first-out" basis. This is particularly critical for fresh seafood because of shorter shelf life, but it also should be applied to frozen product cases.
- Protect fresh fish from dehydration and airborne contamination by keeping it covered. Perforation of plastic bags and other airtight containers used for storing fresh seafood is recommended, as some fresh seafood should not be held for extended periods of time in airtight containers.
- Do not hold fresh fish in melt-water or product fluids. Prolonged contact with fluids will leach color, flavor, aroma, and nutrients from the flesh of seafood.
- Handle fresh fish with care. Bruises and punctures hasten spoilage. Always use two hands when lifting fresh whole fish, steaks, and fillets. Do not pick up a whole fish by the tail.
- Take care to segregate cooked products from raw fish to prevent cross-contamination.
- Build purchasing needs around anticipated sales within an estimated shelf life. There is no standard maximum shelf life for fresh seafood because it varies according to species, season, holding temperatures, and a host of other factors.
If you're uncertain about how long to hold a product, ask your FSA Sales Associate.
Employee Practices
- All seafood handlers should wear clean hats and aprons or coats.
- Hands should be washed and dried before and after handling seafood and between handling raw and cooked products.
- Minimize hand contact with seafood whenever possible.
- Employees who are ill or have open cuts and sores on their hands should not handle seafood.
- There should be no smoking or drinking in seafood handling areas.
- Use only approved detergents and sanitizers to clean seafood contact surfaces.
- Sanitizers containing phenols, such as Lysol and Pinesol, should never be used on seafood contact surfaces.
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