Food Safety and Contamination Quiz

Autolysis and Contamination

• Autolysis refers to the self-digestion of fish due to natural enzymes in the digestive tract, leading to partial liquefaction and softening of the flesh.
• Contaminants are substances that render air, water, or food impure, including germs and microorganisms.
• Contamination describes the state of being infected with these harmful germs or microorganisms.

Curing and Drying Processes

• A curing solution is typically a mixture of salt and water used to preserve fish.
• Drying involves the removal of moisture from fish through natural methods (air exposure) or artificial means (ovens, kilns, dehydrators).
• Dry salted fish is a product that is dried before salting, such as small shrimp (alamang).

Fermentation and Preservation Methods

• Fermenting is a method suited for small fish, resulting in products like fish paste (bagoong) and fish sauce (patis).
• Fish curing encompasses various preserving methods: salting, drying, dehydration, smoking, and pickling.

Anatomy and Techniques

• The isthmus is the region connecting the lower jaw and the breast of the fish, located at the operculum's lower end.
• Cold smoking is performed at a distance from the smoke source, with temperatures between 32°C to 43°C.

Salting, Smoking, and Their Variations

• Kench salted fish, known locally as binuro, is heavily salted.
• Osmosis is critical in fish preservation, where moisture leaves the fish and salt enters through the skin's semi-permeable membrane.
• Pellicle is a glossy film formed on fish that enhances its color when smoked.

Smoking Techniques

• Smoking is a method that uses smoke, salt, and heat to preserve fish. Smoked fish is referred to as tinapa.
• There are two primary types of smoking: hot smoking and cold smoking.
• Hot smoking involves cooking and smoking fish at temperatures ranging from 66°C to 88°C for durations of 1 to 3 hours based on fish size.

Brining and Its Importance

• Brining, also known as brine salting, cures fish by soaking it in a salt-water mixture for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• This process aids in leaching blood and slime, improving fish texture, and providing a salty flavor while removing moisture through osmosis.
• A typical brine concentration used is 20% to 25%, which can be prepared by mixing 2 parts salt with 9 parts water.