12/9/2019 Quality & Freshness

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FRESHNESS

 Everyone loves fresh fish. Yet what

most people don’t know is that a fish’s
“freshness” often has little to do with
when it is caught or the fact that it
isn't frozen.

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Here’s why: The shelf life and quality of fish is a function of

several factors, but most importantly handling and

temperature. Fresh halibut, for example, has a shelf life of
more than 18 days chilled on ice. But if improperly
handled and stored, its shelf life shortens significantly.

FRESH
Here are the four main factors that determine seafood

quality and freshness:

✓ Handling: If fish aren’t properly bled, cleaned and

handled, their shelf life declines appreciably. Rough handling,

for example, damages the flesh, causing enzyme breakdown

and bacterial spoilage.

✓ Temperature: Keeping fish at a cool, consistent

temperature ensures that it will maintain its quality for its

maximum shelf life. For every hour that a salmon is left at 10

degrees Celsius (50 F), its shelf life declines by four hours.

✓ Oil Content: Fish with high oil content are prized because

of the health benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids. However, the

high oil content shortens the shelf life.

✓ Species Characteristics. Other factors also affect a

species’ shelf life. For example, big fish stay fresh longer than

small fish, flat fish keep better than round fish, fish caught in

warm, tropical seas spoil faster than those caught in cold

waters, and bony fish are edible longer than cartilaginous fish.

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FROZEN
Just because a fish is frozen doesn’t mean it isn’t fresh.
Indeed, freezing a fish shortly after it is caught locks in its

freshness. Sushi-grade tuna, for example, is typically

frozen at sea and then thawed—a fact not widely known

by seafood lovers. Sushi chefs prize fish frozen at sea

because it meets strict health rules on eating raw fish and

because it is often the top quality on the market. A fish

frozen a few hours after being caught doesn't have time to

begin to spoil.

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Still, some frozen fish has a bad reputation for good

reason. Old fish can be frozen to extend its shelf life, which
means it may spoil shortly after you thaw it. If improperly

stored, frozen fish can also become freezer burned.

When you trace your seafood, ThisFish tells you its

condition (live, fresh or frozen) and the date when it is

landed. This can be valuable information, but nothing

beats a good pair of eyes and a keen nose in determining

the quality and freshness of your seafood.

Sources:

U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization

John P. Doyle. Seafood Shelf Life as a Function of

Temperature. Alaskan Sea Grant: No. 30, 1989.

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