A SURVEY OF THE QUALITY OF SALT CURED FISH PRODUCED IN THE KANYAKUMARI DISRICT, MADRAS STATE

Abstract

A survey of the quality of salt cured fish in Kanyakumari District,
Madras State was done during the years 1963 and 1964 to obtain
necessary basic information to formulate quality standards for these
products which are gaining importance in the export trade. 155 trade
samples of sun-dried, dry-salted, wet-cured and pit-cured fishery
products were examined for their chemical quality and organoleptic
characteristics. 26.5% of the sun-dried products, 25% of the wetcured
fish, 55.21% of the dried salted products and none of the pitcured
samples were found to be good in quality. The sun dried pro~
ducts were generally found to have heavy admixture of sand and were
inadequately dried. The chief defects in the salt cured fish products
were found to be the use of spoiled fish, imperfect cleaning and
washing, use of impure salt, inadequate salting, curing and drying,
and unhygienic conditions in all stages. Quality standards must be
formulated for each variety of salt cured fish product and adequate
measures taken to rectify the defects and enforce the quality standards.