IFL recently published a report on the project Thawed salted fish in consumer packages, where, among other things, factors were studied such as how the shelf life of dehydrated cod fillets could be maximized.
As many people know, salted fish has been one of the most important exports of Icelanders since the early 19th century, and even today the export of salted seafood amounts to 15-20% of the export value of Icelandic seafood. Many consumers today do not feel they have the time or interest to spend too much time on cooking and therefore the demand for fresh, ready-made or fast-cooked foods has increased significantly. However, such foods are much more sensitive than salted or frozen and have a much shorter shelf life.
In order for salted fish to continue its market share, it is necessary to be able to offer it dehydrated and ready for boiling / frying. In order for this to be possible, it must be ensured that it has a sufficiently long shelf life as a refrigerated product.
In the new report, which bears the title Thawed, dehydrated cod fillets in consumer packages was drawn attention to, among other things, by examining in more detail the interplay between gas composition, potassium sorbate concentration and citric acid concentration with regard to factors such as microbial and chemical changes, taste, smell, texture, appearance and drip.
The project also carried out shelf life tests on dehydrated, thawed, salted fish fillets after different lengths of frozen storage, and the quality of such fillets was compared with unfrozen fillets. The effects of different raw material qualities on the shelf life of packaged products were also investigated, as well as the growth potential of several pathogens and pointing organisms in gas-packed, dehydrated fillets.
The authors of the report are Hannes Magnússon, Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir, Ása Þorkelsdóttir, Emilia Martinsdóttir, but they all work at IFL's Research Division.