A new project has now begun at Matís, which intends to investigate the effects of different salting methods and additives in order to reduce the negative effects of death stiffness on brine uptake.
There is a big difference between the processing properties of farmed cod and wild cod. The growth of farmed cod is faster and the conditions in the environment are different. Slaughtering and handling of wild fish are also controlled. Previous research has shown that it is best to process farmed cod before death, but this has created problems in the production of lightly salted products. The physiological processes that occur during death stiffness counteract weight gain, partly because the muscle contracts. In the spring of 2010, AVS approved (www.avs.is), to support projects to investigate the effects of different salting methods and additives in order to reduce the negative effects of mortality on brine uptake. Experiments will be launched in the autumn, but the project is expected to be completed in June 2011.
Participants in the project are Hraðfrystihúsið - Gunnvör hf and Matís ohf. Kristján G. Jóakimsson is the project manager and Kristín A. Þórarinsdóttir, kristin.a.thorarinsdottir@matis.is, directs the work carried out by Matís in the project.
Project title: Lightly salted products from farmed cod