In recent years, overfishing in offshore waters has led to a decline in the production of economically valuable fish species. However, the yield of smaller fish such as pelagic fish, flatfish, and tongue catfish has increased. These small fish are often considered low-value due to their limited commercial use. As living standards improve and demand for protein rises, there's growing interest in finding ways to enhance the food value of these underutilized fish. This article outlines a practical production process that transforms this low-value fish into a high-quality, marketable product. The process is efficient, cost-effective, and offers strong economic returns with a broad consumer base.
**Raw Materials and Ingredients Specifications**
1. **Raw Materials**: Fresh or frozen small white fish, tongue carp, and similar species. They should be fresh in appearance, with total bacterial count between grade 1 and 2 not exceeding 100,000/g.
2. **Ingredients**:
- **Sugar**: Dry, free from impurities and clumps.
- **Refined Salt**: Iodized, with NaCl content ≥ 96%.
- **MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)**: Contains ≥ 99% glutamic acid sodium.
- **Citric Acid**: Pure white, no impurities.
- **Ginger**: Dried, not deteriorated.
- **Rice Vinegar**: Within its shelf life.
- **Cooking Wine**: Also within its shelf life.
**Processing Flow**
The production process includes the following steps:
**Raw Fish Pretreatment**: Cleaning → Soaking → Draining → Seasoning → Mixing → Drying → Autoclaving → Cooling → Packaging.
**Key Operational Points**
1. **Pretreatment**: Fresh fish must be gutted, headed, finned, and rinsed thoroughly with clean water.
2. **Soaking**: After cleaning, the fish are weighed and placed in a tank. Three times the volume of fresh water is added, and the fish are soaked for 30 minutes to remove blood, dirt, and off-flavors.
3. **Draining**: Once soaked, the fish are transferred to a plastic basket with square holes and left to drain on an iron rack for 20 minutes.
4. **Seasoning**: Each batch of 10 kg of drained fish is mixed with seasonings. The mixture is stirred for 15 minutes, then rice vinegar and cooking wine are added. This process is repeated four times over one hour.
**Seasoning Ratio**:
- White sugar: 5%
- Refined salt: 1.6%
- MSG: 0.8%
- Lemon leaves: 0.25%
- Ginger powder: 0.05%
- Rice vinegar: 0.8%
- Cooking wine: 0.5%
5. **Netting**: The fish are carefully arranged on a mesh tray, all facing the same direction, with tails aligned consistently.
6. **Drying**: The mesh trays are placed in a drying tunnel. The fish tails are positioned to face the airflow, and the temperature is maintained at 30–35°C for 10–12 hours.
7. **Autoclaving**: The dried fish are placed in a pressure cooker, sealed, and cooked at 2 atmospheres and 160°C for 40 minutes.
8. **Cooling**: After cooking, the fish are cooled using a fan until they reach room temperature.
9. **Packaging**: The finished product is evenly distributed onto a plastic tray and packed into 50g bags. The packages are sealed and labeled with clear production dates.
**Quality Standards**
- **Color**: Attractive brownish tan.
- **Texture**: Crisp, tender, and soft.
- **Moisture Content**: 20%.
- **Total Bacteria**: <100,000/g.
- **Coliform Count**: <100/g.
- **Shelf Life**: 6 months.
- **Weight Deviation**: No more than 2g per 50g package.
- **Sealing**: Tight and clear labeling.
- **Outer Box**: Properly marked with date, specifications, and other necessary information.
**Production Considerations**
1. Raw materials must be fresh and not spoiled.
2. All internal organs and black membranes must be completely removed to prevent spoilage.
3. Soaking water temperature must be kept below 10°C, and soaking time must be sufficient.
4. Seasonings should be fully blended before use.
5. When placing fish in the mesh, ensure the tail faces the airflow direction to speed up drying. Adjust time based on fish size and tunnel temperature.
6. Workers must maintain strict personal hygiene and ensure all equipment is properly disinfected during processing.
This method not only improves the utilization of low-value fish but also creates a nutritious, appealing, and profitable food product that meets modern consumer demands.
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