FST 202

FOOD QUALITY CONTROL

TITLE : QUALITY CONTROL TEST OF FISH

NAME : NURFADHILAH BINTI JAAFAR

MEMBERS NAMES: SITI FATIMAH BT SHAIKH ABDUL

MUNAIM

RAFIDAH BT MOHD SHAHRUN

WAFA ATIQAH BT AMAN MAAMOR

NURSABRINA BT ROSLI

ID NUMBER : 2013698078

GROUP : AS 1165A2

SUBMITION DATE : 19TH JULY 2015

LECTURERS NAME : MADAM MARDIANA BT AHAMAD

ZABIDI
INTRODUCTION

Fish dominates about 42% of supermarket sales and the fish sold in the market should
be displayed attractively and comes with acceptable characteristic which is surrounded by a
plenty of small crushed ice to maintain the freshness of the fish. The method for the evaluation
of fresh fish is classified into 2 which are objective method and subjective method. However, the
objective method is more preferable rather than subjective method only if it can provide precise
measurement. The consumer testing and measure the emotional responses of the consumers
towards the particular products are required for the subjective methods for the evaluation of the
fish. Subjective methods are affective tests based on measure of preference or acceptance.

Objective methods to determine the freshness of the fish is by the application of non-
sensory methods which is including the descriptive or discriminative sensory methods. It is
commonly uses a calibrated scientific instrument to measure a specific quality parameter
usually on numerical scale. Adenosine 5-triphosphate (ATP) breakdown compounds, K and
related values and trimethylamine (TMA) are several analytical techniques to measure the
intrinsic quality of the product and does not require any human senses, easily reproducible and
gives reliable results. But it may not suitable for all types of the quality attributes. Besides that,
during the objective methods, bias can be minimized by the use of specially trained expert
assessors and trained expert which has been taught to use the analytical instruments and able
to make consistent and repeatable assessments.

The quality index method is a system which is new and improved seafood freshness
quality grading systems that are both quick and objective have been develop for various species
to determine the freshness quality of the seafood. The quality index parameter is used for
assessing various fish parameters such as the general appearance, eyes, gills, and the
abdomen of the fish and how the changes occur over the time of storage. The total demerit
scores which also called as quality index (QI) is yield from the total scores given to the different
parameter measured. QI is varies from one to another specie because QIM is species specific.
The score system may come from 0 to 3 or 0 to 10 demerit (index) points. QIM has several
advantages, including estimation of past and remaining storage time in ice.

The shelf life of fish is depends on the species, history of the fish, method of handling,
storage and catching method. Preserving of fresh fish in both tropical and temperate climate is
by chilling in the range between 0-1oC. The short time preservation process such as
refrigeration, chilling, cold storage and freezing are recommendable to maintain the
characteristics of fresh fish. The normal storage life of fish obtained from cold water and chilled
to 0oC immediately post mortem is between one and two weeks while some tropical fish keep
longer at 0oC. A smaller fish is prone to spoil rapidly than larger fish in general. The spoilage
rate and the shelf life of the fish are affected by many parameters at different rate. The fish can
possibly encounter with off-flavour and discolouration due to the catching method, fishing
ground, hygiene during handling and storage temperature.

OBJECTIVE

1. To evaluate the organoleptic characteristics of raw fish.

2. To evaluate the organoleptic characteristics of cooked fish.

RESULTS

Evaluation of Raw Fish

Sample Fresh Fish Old Fish

Score
Eyes 8 4
Gills 10 6
Skin 10 6
Odour 10 6
Texture 10 4
Total Score 48 24

Evaluation of Cooked Fish

Sample Fresh Fish Old Fish

Score
Odour 10 8
Flavour 10 8
Texture & Colour 10 8
Total Score 30 24
DISCUSSIONS
 A number of objective and subjective methods for the quality control test of fish are
widely applied in order to meet the standards and criteria for a quality fresh food to be marketed.
In this experiment, the organoleptic characteristics of raw fish and cooked fish are being
evaluated for the fresh fish and old fish. The raw fish is generally evaluated on the
characteristics of eyes, gills, skin, odour and the texture. Based on the result sheet, fresh fish
scored 8 points for the eyes with slightly sunken, grey, and cloudy eyes while old fish scored
only 4 points due to some bleeding on the fish eyes. According to FDA it is advisable to make
sure a fishs eye is clear and bulge a little which is shown that the fish is still in fresh state. The
fish should be stored on refrigerator or freezer immediately soon after bought it. Fresh fish
scored 10 points for the gills characteristics while old fish scored only 6 points due to the
existence of brownish and bleach with mucus on the gills.

The skin of the fresh fish is bright, fresh bloom with transparent slime which gives it 10
points compared to old fish that only got 6 point because the skin is already bleach, discoloured
and with thick slime. Bacteria is normally found in the slime and it grows quickly and multiplying
quickly when the fish is removed from water. Therefore, the fish boxes, coolers and the other
storage items need to be in clean state to reduce the rate of multiplying of bacteria that can
soon impart the texture, colour, odour and especially it can disrupt the flavour of the fish. The
old fish scored only 6 points as it has stale and sour odour while fresh fish scored 10 points
because it still have the fresh and laky odour. Fish are one of the ocean creatures that contain
full of amino acids and amines in order for them to adapt the saltiness of seawater. The fishy
odour started to spread once after they soon caught the fish, and causing the bacteria to break
the trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) compound to trimethylamine (TMA) which resulted to the fishy
smells. The less smell of the fish, the fresher the fish is, hence avoids buying fish with
unpleasant smells as it is probably older fish.

The texture of the fish can be determine by bend it to determine its flexibility. The fresh
fish has a firm and elastic texture and scored 10 points, while the old fish scored 4 out of 10
points for the texture which is very soft and swollen scale. The quality of the fish can be
observed whether it has already been frozen and thawed. The chunk that is floating in the fish
liquid indicates that the fish has already been frozen. The prior frozen process can disrupt the
texture and the flavour of the fish after it is being refreeze. After that, the raw fishes are being
steamed for further evaluation of organoleptic characteristics for the cooked fish. The
characteristics evaluated for the cooked fish are odour, flavour, texture and colour. The odour of
the fresh fish after cooked gives the fresh odour characteristics while the old fish still have some
freshness odour retained. When choosing the fish in the market make sure that the fish should
smell fresh and mild, not fishy, sour or ammonia-like so that it can give the freshness odour after
being cooked.

Besides that, after being cooked fresh fish have a sweet flavour while the old one have
loss some of the flavours and sweetness. The loss of flavour in fish is might happen during the
frozen storage. The gradual loss of flavour in the fish is due to the decreasing concentration of
flavour compound during freezing. Besides that, the taste of bland, flat flavour and development
of off- flavours due to the presence of acids and carbonyl compound which is from the product
of lipid oxidation. However, all these phases only applied for certain species of the fish that has
sweet and meaty flavour, another species may originally have a bland and flat taste as soon as
it is being caught. The fresh fish scored 10 points for the firm and juicy texture and its white
colour while old fish scored only 8 points as it have soft texture and dull colour. If the white fish
that is soon after capture are knocked against a hard surface. A bruising of the flesh can occur
in the form of dark coloured patch in the fillet. This is due to the rupture of fine blood vessels in
the flesh with consequent release of blood which does not drain away during gutting and icing.
Fish species with firm texture had thin muscle fibres with little heat coagulating material between
them while the species that having soft texture had thick muscle fibres with little heat
coagulating material. The fish with less water, plus high protein content became firmer when
being cooked.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the fresh fish scored 48 points and 30 points for the organoleptic scores
for raw and cooked state respectively. On the other hand, the old fish scored only 24 points for
the evaluation of organoleptic characteristics for both raw and cooked state. The consumer
need to be aware to only buy fish that is refrigerated or displayed and stored in thick bed of
fresh ice to ensure freshness of the fish can be retained longer.

QUESTIONS
 1. Texture is an important property of fish muscle, whether raw or cooked. What
causes fish muscle to become:
a) Tough
The loss of drip during thawing will be greater when the fish undergo rigor at high
temperature. The cooked fish will be tough and stringy when the fish are well fed and
not exhausted. However, it is not rigor alone that causes the toughness and high drip
loss in thawed frozen fish. The flesh may be naturally tough or it may have been
toughened by incorrect freezing, cold storage or thawing.

b) Soft and mushy

The fish muscle may become soft and mushy as a result of autolytic degradation.
Besides that, the texture of the fish may become impaired due to the overthaw frozen
fish. The thawed fish left in water rapidly become soft and mushy as the flesh will
absorb water.

2. Give 3 reasons why ice is utilized in fish preservations?

Ice is utilized in fish preservations because of the temperature reduction. The risk of
spoilage rate of pathogenic microorganisms can be reduces when the temperature is
reducing to 0oC. Besides that, the melting ice keeps the fish moist. Weight reduction and
surface dehydration can be prevented when the fish is placed in the thick bed of ice. Ice
also helps to extend the shelf life while producing safe fresh fish with acceptable quality
of the fish as compared to storage of un-iced fish at higher temperature than 0oC.

REFERENCES

1. Alasalvar, C. (2010). Method of Sensory Evaluation of Fish. In Handbook of Seafood

Quality, Safety, and Health Applications (p. 235). Ames, Iowa: Blackwell Pub.
2. Taylor, T. (1992). Practical Evaluation of Fish Quality. In Seafood (p. 23). Noumea
Cedex, New Caledonia: Community Health Services, (Nutrition Programme), South
Pacific Commission
3. Kilcast, D. (2011). Texture Evaluation. In Food and Beverage Stability and Shelf Life (p.
386). Oxford: Woodhead Pub.