Quality Assurance in Fish Processing PDF

Trans. Nat. Acad. Science & Techno[. 1984.6:77-84 QUALITY ASSURANCE IN THE FISH PROCESSING INDUSTRY Florian M. Orejana and J. Espejo-Hermes Institute of Fisheries Development and Research University...

Trans. Nat. Acad. Science & Techno[. 1984.6:77-84 QUALITY ASSURANCE IN THE FISH PROCESSING INDUSTRY Florian M. Orejana and J. Espejo-Hermes Institute of Fisheries Development and Research University of the Philippines in the Visayas 1.0 Quality Assurance vs. Quality Control The d evelopment and expansion of the local e xport trade of fish an d fishery products can be facil itated by instituting a system of quality control measures. Quality Control is defme d as t he application of measures that slow the dete­ rioration of quality to its lowest practical rate while Quality Assurance is the appli­ cation of measures that ensure t he availability of only hig h quality seafood s for consumption. 2.0 Schematic Diagram of a n Ideal Quality Control Organization 2. I Go vernment Department of Fisheries and Oceans I Ministry of Fisheries ! - Fish Inspection and Techn ological lob. Regional Officer, Chief of Inspection + [---- l laboratory Field Unit.----- - -+--- Regional Vessels Inspector Engin e e r ! j Plant Inspector & Product Inspection/ Quality Control Chemi stry Microbiology Quality Control Unit R o u tine Imported fishery TKA products TVB fascal coliforms Salt Staphylococous Hg TEC Hi\tamine Cans for sterility S ensory Supe vision Supervision Canned Fish Fresh Fish t Sampling Office 77 78 Transactions National Acad.,my of Sdcnct: 2.2 Ind ustry/Processing Plant + Production Quality Hygiene A ccountant ',,; : / t j Manager - ------ -Controller ---- - - - - - Officer Foreman Chemists Bacteriological Administrative t Technicians Staff Production Worker 3.0 Problems in the Local Ind ust ry Due to Lick of Quality Assurance Measur es 3.1 Vibrio, Staphylococcus, Salmonella in exported shrimps and prawns Tons of frozen shrimps imported from the Philippines were d estroyed because of V. cholerae contamination by Tokyo quarantine officials of the Health and Wel far e Ministry (April 21, Bulletin Tod ay, 1984). lt was the first case of cholera germs found in fro7.en shrimps imported from the Philip­ pines. Failure to com ply with food import regulations has resulted to tre­ mend ous losses incurred by exporters of fishery products, these losse s can be avoid ed. Importing countries like West Germany, Denmark and France have strict specifications for food poisoning organisms such as Sta­ phylococcus and Salmonella in frozen shrimps and prawns. These countries require the absence of Salmonella in 25 g sample; S. aureus counts must not exceed 1 o2/g sample. Mendoza (I 981) reported that the counts of S. aureus in market samples of frozen shrimps and prawns ranged from I 0 l - 1Q3. Three processing plants were found to be positive for Salmonella. Analysis of the possible source of contamination in four shrimp processing plants investigated showed a prevalence of S. aureus in the hands of workers ranging from 40 to 77.88%. Moreover, the raw materials were found to be contami­ nated with Salmonella. Observance of proper hygiene by the workers and in all stages of processing of the prod uct must be strictly followed to eliminate the risks of contamination of the shrimps and prawns with pathogenic or­ ganisms. 3.2 Histamine in Canned Tuna Histamine is implicated in scombroid poisoning. Scombroid poisoning  Orcjana. Qualit} Assurance in Fish Processing 79 is due to microbial enzyme decarboxylation of histidine to histamine. Scom­ broid toxin is common in frigate mackerel (tulingan) and other species of the family Scombridae such as tuna, tuna-like species and mackerel. Studies on the effects of delay in icing and processing of scombroid fish on the his­ tamine levels have been conducted locally (Orejana eta/., 1983 ). Canned tuna for export usually contains between 10 mg% and 30 mg% histamine which is above the limit of I 0 mg% set by importing countries like West Germany. 1l1e BFAD (Bureau of Food and Drug) therefore requires a certificate of histamine analysis before canned tuna can be exported as an assurance of quality. 3.3 Lack of Hygiene in Fish Sauce/Fish Paste Establishments (Processing Plants) Recently (April 19, 1984; Bulletin Today) shipments of fish sauce and paste for the U.S.A. were rejected and detained by the US Food and Drug Administration due to the presence of insect and rodent ftlth. The rejection of the contaminated food products was mainly due to lack of hygiene in the processing establishments. The practice of using dirty containers, contami­ nated salt, contaminated raw materials should be strongly discouraged in the fish sauce/fish paste industry. 3.4 Under-Processing/Over-Processing of Canned Fish Products Microbial spoilage of canned products may be a consequence of under­ processing which may result to health risks with Clostridium botulinum contamination and commercial risks with non-pathogenic spoilage. 1l1e process must be sufficient to eliminate heat resistant spores of C botulinum or other even more heat resistant spores. The specified process time and temperature for a specific product must be achieved and strictly followed. The lack of heat penetration data monitoring can result in under­ processing or overprocessing. Overprocessing may lead to overcooking and loss of color, flavor, texture, and nutrients. All these are to be avoided with implementation of quality assurance measures. 3.5 Salmonella in Fish Meal The Salmonella outbreaks in U.S.A , U.K., Europe and Israel in the. early 1970's resulted to strict regulations for incoming fish meal. Contamina­ tion of !ish meal with Salmonella will likely occur if the meals arc not proper­ ly handled. Sumner, Quiazon and Nieto (1981) found that fish meal imported from the U.S.A was contaminated with Salmonella. The.:ontamination of the meal may have possibly occurred in the Philippines due to improper handling and storage. 3.6 Aflatoxin in Fish Meal and Some Smoked Products Fish meal and smoked products may harbor aflatoxin producing molds if not properly handled. Prevalence of aflatoxin producing molds in some smoked fish products has been reported by Bulaong (I 983). Possible source 80 Transactions National Academy of Science of these aflatoxin producing molds is the brine used for salting the smoked fish. Trinidad, Espejo-Hermes and Reilly ( 1983) isolated several species of Aspergillus which are potential allat.oxin producers in the brine used in the commercial production of smoked fish. The practice of some local processors of using the brine contin uously must be discouraged d ue to the d anger of growth of aflatoxin-producing molds in the product. 3.7 Freezer Burn in Frozen Fish The rate of deterioration of frozen fish is mainly dependent on its temperature. Variation in temperature may result to freezer-burn (whitened, toughened. and wrinkled appearance of parts of the surface that have been excessively dehydrated). Freezer burn can be reduced by using tight-fitting wrapping impermeable to water vapour. and by glazing the product (dipping the frozen prod uct in water). 3.8 Poor Market Quality of Wet Fish Wet tlsh usually command lower prices than processed products d ue to improper practices of fishermen. wholesalers and retailers. Fish must be maintained at a temperature of as near as O"C as possible after catch to assure its gond quality. For this purpose adequate amounts of ice must be used. Re-icing. particularly during the hot months, must be d one as often as pos· sible. 3.9 Inferior Quality of Local Extracts of Carrageenan TI1e inferior quality of carrageenan produced locally could be d ue to lack of quality control of materials. Mixtures of seaweeds for carrageen:: n extraction are being used in the industry. Proper selection of raw materials must be done to produce good quality carrageenan extracts. 3.10 Inferior Quality of Dried and Smoked Fish This problem emerged due to the absence of standards for these pro­ d ucts. Variability in the processing practices results to inferior quality. The important aspects of quality in dried and smoked fish arc concerned with the freshness and manner of preparation of the raw material, the salting process, the smoking process and the post-processing history of the products i.e. its storage. transportation and retailing. 3.11 Melanosis in Shrimp The development of the black spots or melanosis may begin within a few hours after catch of the shrimps. However. even with contin uous icing, blackening may be far advanced before the shrimps can be marketed. Icing of the shrimps immediately after catch should be encouraged to prevent melanosis. Removal of the head of the shrimps and/or the proper usc of soluble antioxidants such as ascorbic and citric acid will help prevent blacken­ ing. Calamansi juice has been reported to be efticient in preventing blackening in shrimps (Bersamin, Legaspi and Macalincag, 1971 ).  Orejana, Quality Assurance in Fish Processing 81 4.0 Quality Standards and Codes of Practice Recommended for Fish and Fishery Products The regulations on fish and fishery products arc intended to ensure that these products conform to the standards of wholesomeness, sanitation and labelling required of domestic and import trade. All fish and fishery products must comply with the FDA requirement cover­ ing the following areas: adulteration, misbranding, labelling, defmition and stan­ dards for identification, tolerance of poisonous and deterioration substances, pes­ ticide residues, food additives and good manufacturing practices defect action level. Failure to declare the presence of added salt or the kind of oil used as the packing medium in canned fish has resulted in the detention of fish products. Artificial coloring is not permitted if it conceals damage or inferiority. Use of per­ mitted artificial flavouring, artificial colors or chemical preservation must be conspicuously declared in the labelling. Imitations must be labeUed as such. Particulate and bacterial contamination in the processing, storage, handling, incubation, and operating practices within the plant must be avoided. 4.1 Quality Indices 4.1.1 Physical/Sensory The sensory evaluation of fish quality has usually been made by methods based on either hedonic scale or on descriptions of the various sensory attributes of the fish: appearance of the eyes, gills and skin; texture of the flesh; odour of the raw and cooked fish and flavour of the product. Physical evaluation includes TD (thaw drip measurement in frozen fish), Torrymeter (freshness test), texture measurement (by Instron or modified texture meters), odor/pollution levels measure­ ment for fishmeal and others. 4.1.2 Microbiological Tests Most commonly employed for microbiological analysis are the following: Standard plate count at 35-37°C Escherichia coli (Faecal coliform) Staphylococcus aureus Salmonella and Vibrio 4.1., 3 Chemical/Nutritional Methods Analyses for histamine (TLC, GLC, Fluorimeter) :unino acid rancidity (TBA peroxide value), mercury, TMA (trimethylamine) and DMA (dimethylamine), TVB (total volatile base), protein, fat and others are required by some importing countries. 4.2 Specifications and Recommended Codes of Practice of Handling and Transport , Processing, Storage, and Distribution of Fish and Shellfish 82 Tra nsactions Natio nal Academy of Science 4.2.1 ICMSF (International Commission on Microbiological Specifica­ tions of Foods). This body reviews and publishes values for SPC (Stan­ dard Plate Count) and pathogens, commonly used in different countries for different fishery products. 4.2.2 Codex Alimentarius -· Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Pro­ gramme Currently up to 121 (as of Nov. I, 1981) countries arc coUa­ borating in the d raft ing of comprehensive. minimurn standards for a wider r ange of products moving in international trad e. Almost all are for products meant for direct sale to the consumer. 4.2.3 PSA (Philip pine Standards Association) The PS A (NST A funded) is putting up stand a rd s on processed fish and shellfish with the cooperation of various research/government agencies ( B F A R , UP, FDA, NIST) and the industry. FTI has also formulated s tand ard s for frozen and fresh fish. 5.0 Role of R & D (Re search and Deve lopm en t ) in Quality Assurance Research and Development is important in the d e ve lopment of a new pro­ dueL pro c ess or equipment which may elicit a ch ange i n quali ty control proc durcs. It could also be helpful in the task of translating values o b t ain ed from test p ro­ cedures into meaningful grades and in integ rating the various grades into a com­ ple te standard of quality. In short. R & D can lead to quality control measures which will upgrade the quality of products thereby improving their compeiitive­ ness in the market. 6.0 Conclusions and Recommendations The emphasis given by developed countries on the quality control and 11sh inspection of fish and fishery products is quite remarkable. TI1e high qu alit y of !Ish and fishery products may be at tributed to the volunta ry and/or mandatory regula­ tions and guidelines issued by government and private agencies. Quality conscious­ n e ss is inherent in the manufacturer's concept while with the local manufacturers in t he Philippines profit seems to be the primary consideration. In the developed countries, improved quality is synonymous with a better price for the product. In the Philippines. the law of supply and demand and other economic factors as we l l as psychosoc ial problems make it quite difficult to enforce standards. if they exist at all for a limited n umber of pro d ucts. TI1e lack of well-equipped centralized and regional quality control labora­ tories and the lack of qualified man power mainly ac count for the poor credibili ty of government research agencies from the point of view of the industry. As a consequence. the improvement of quality of fishery products through technolugy transfer or research results is quite difficult to achieve. The traditional products (smoked, dried, and fermented) in the market are of heterogeneous quality. Since no grading of products is made locally, better qualit y products are n ot assured of  Orejana, Quality Assurance in Fish Processing 83 a high er price, as is the case i n the U.K. and other cou n t ri e s due to the use of the EEC r ating. As to research priorities, local government agencies emphasize pr oductio n and give l owe r prio rit y to processing and q uality standardization of prod ucts. lt is hig h ly recommended that the organizatio nal scheme of qualit y control and inspection in the Phil ippines should be revie w ed and bureaucrac y reduced accordingly. TI1e overlapping of functions of various agencies which lessens effi­ ciency m us t be eliminated or weU-coordinated. Vol un ta ry rather than mandator y c.:ompli ance to guidelines (e.g. Codes of Pr actic e by the Codex Alimen tar ius ) should be encouraged. TI1e private sector should be willi11g to share th e task of im proving produd yuality by fi n ancing se mi - p ri v ate or cooperative ventures similar to those t\.1und in Germany and N o r way. The importer of tuna in Ger m any and Denmark require hist:. mine d ata from the exporters. The need for setting up a h istam i n e laboratory for the indus try either by the govcmment