Chapter Twenty-Two

FISH

By: Kelly LonerganKatherine Fleissnerand Jason Lo

Explain the selection factors for fish, including government grades

Describe aquaculture Differentiate between mollusks and

crustaceans List several varieties of fish Define various marketing terms for fish

Learning Objectives

Illustrate various market forms for fish Create product specifications for fish Describe the process of purchasing,

receiving, storing, and issuing fish

Learning Objectives

1. Keeping in mind the intended use when deciding what type of fish to buy. (appearance, taste)

2. Exact name= buyers need to be very specific when purchasing fish because there are over 200 varieties sold throughout the United States.

Difficulty: the same fish might have a different name based on geographical location. This is actually encouraged by the federal government because when more desirable names are given to nutritious and delicious fish, people are more likely to buy and eat them.

Fifteen Selection Factors

3. Standard of identity: specifications set up by the federal government that a product must meet in order to be called a certain name. Oftentimes, not a guideline used by buyers because it is based on minimal requirements.

4. U.S. Government grades Set up by the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Based on appearance, odor, size, uniformity,

color, defects, flavor, texture and point of origin

Fifteen Selection Factors

Grade A: Best appearance and culinary quality. Devoid of defects.

Grade B: Suitable for many foodservice applications. Good flavor and odor, but has some defects.

Substandard: Does not have good flavor or odor with considerable defects

Grades for whole or dressed fish

Grade A: Best appearance and culinary quality. Devoid of defects.

Grade B: Good flavor and odor, but significantly more defects than Grade A. Suitable for foodservice operations

Grade C: Minimal acceptable flavor and odor and lacking in appearance. Cannot have “off’ odors

Substandard: Bad flavor and odor and considerable defects

Grades for fish fillets and fish products

5. Federal Inspection Seal FDA provides inspections and requires fish

processors to adopt a HACCP system. Packed Under Federal Inspection (PUFI): only

sure way to obtain fish produced under continuous government inspection. Indicates the product is clean, safe, and wholesome. This is a voluntary program and not many fish processing plants participate.

Packer’s Brands: More precise than a brand name. A packer’s personal grading system. Intended to take the place of the federal government grades. Sometimes a brand name is the only guide to consistency.

6. Product size Buyer’s specific weight or volume he or she

wants to purchase. Buyer needs to determine the exact nomenclature so specifications are accurate

7. Product Yield Buyers indicate a minimum product yield they will accept. Example: accepting no more than 2% dead oysters per barrel

8. Size of container9. Type of packaging material

Fish could be delivered in reusable plastic tubs, foam containers, cans, bottles or live in shell

10. Packaging procedure Chill packed: temp is held at 28-29 degrees F Cello pack: products surrounded by clean

plastic film. Individually quick frozen (IQF): products are

quick frozen and individually layered in the case

Marinade pack: packaging medium intended to impart flavor and tenderness to foods. Pre-marinated.

Snap pack: another term for IQF. If you drop an item on the counter and it does not snap apart easily, it means it has been thawed a bit and then refrozen

Shatter pack: another term for IQF

11. Product form Refers to the degree of processing Now, dressed, fresh fish and shrimp are available. Surimi: fish-based paste used to imitate fish products

the degree of processing you choose is related to the skill of your kitchen labor, storage space and available equipment.

12. Preservation Method Fish can be frozen, dried, smoked, refrigerated, ice

packed, cello packed, chill packed, live, live-in-shell and canned.

Americans buy canned fish than any other type. New pack time: time of the year when products

intended for sale the following year (or other period of time) are packed (for canned or frozen fish).

13. Packing medium The liquid used to pack foods; especially relevant with

canning

14.Point of origin Products are different depending on the

geographical location they come from. Truth-in-menu: legislation prohibiting

misrepresentation on the menu, including the locale the seafood came from.

15.Trust the supplier It is important to work with a trusted supplier when

you are purchasing a large amount of fish because the items are not standardized, equality is variable, supply is erratic and the prices change continuously.

Aquaculture= fish farming. Allows for a product of consistent size and quality. Used by large restaurant companies

Aquaculture

Can you identify these fish?Class Activity

SalmonYellowtailHerringMackerelMonkfishPikePerch

Can you identify these fish?Class Activity

Yellowtail

Monkfish

Herring Mackerel

Salmon

Perch

Pike

Common fish varieties the food-service industry uses:

Catfish Cod Flounder Mahi-mahi Monkfish Red snapper

Varieties of Fish

Difficulties of purchasing fish Processed(canned, salted, frozen) are easier to

buy Few suppliers Inconsistent supply/items are not standardized May not be very fresh depending on your

location Employees must be skilled to handle fish

Purchasing Fish

Three Steps in Purchasing Fish1. Acquire reference materials such as The

Seafood Handbook, SeaFood Business, Seafood Choices Alliance, or Seafood Price-Current. Also information on www.seafood.com and www.sea-ex.com

2. Contact the FDA office of seafood safety for a list of approved interstate fish suppliers

Purchasing Fish

3. Decide the exact type of product and quality you want

Come up with a statement of quality, to give to your suppliers

Set up a stockless purchase plan (purchasing a large supply and having it delivered a little at a time).

Move list: a list of products that need to be sold ASAP. Usually the AP prices are deeply discounted

Loss Leader: product sold at a much lower profit margin to attract customers who will purchase it as well as other more profitable items

Intended useExact nameU.S. GradePUFI sealPacker’s brand nameProduct sizeProduct yieldSize of containerType of packaging

materialPackaging procedureProduct formPreservation methodPacking mediumPoint of origin

Sample Product Specification for Fish

Shucked fish: product should have a mild, not fishy odor, firm flesh and slime-free. Gills should be bright pink and eyes should be clear and bright. Should be ice packed or chill packed

Slacked-out: thawed fish that is usually dry with ice spots

Crustaceans: should be active and feel heavy Mollusks: shells should be closed or close when

tapped.

Receiving Fish

Frozen fish: should arrive frozen solid packaged in moisture proof, vapor-proof material with no signs of thawing and refreezing.

Glaze: protective coating, must not be excessive Canned merchandise : no signs of rust, dents, dirt

or swelling Interstate certified shellfish shippers list:

agency within the FDA that approves the areas where shellfish are grown and harvested.

Lot number: indication that packaged goods originated from a particular group, or lot.

Fish and game office: local agency that certifies that fish and game products have not been purchased from unapproved sources and acceptable to use and resell to customers.

Match the Market forms of fish to their photo.

a) Whole or round: completely intact, as caught

b) Drawn: viscera removedd) Steaks: cross-section slices,

each containing a section of backbone

e) Fillet: boneless sides of fish, with skin on or off

f) Dressed: viscera, scales, head, tail, and fins removed

g) Sticks: cross section of fillets

Class Activity

Market Forms of Fish

Fresh fin fish and fresh shucked shellfish should be kept at 32 degrees F at no less than 65% relative humidity.

Maximum shelf life is 2 days Live fish should be stored in the appropriate

water tank Store frozen fish at or below 0 degrees F. With the

correct glaze product can be held up to 1 year Bottled and canned fish should be stored in a dry

storeroom at a temp between 50-70 F at 60% relative humidity

Storing Fish

Two questions to consider when issuing fish:1. Should they issue the product as is?2. Should they issue the product as ready to go?

Avoid the temptation of pre-paring the snapper and then storing portions in a freezer

Need to follow proper stock rotation when issuing fish product

Prepare issue documents when it goes in production

Issuing Fish

In-Process Inventory: Products located at employee workstations; most of all will be used during the shift

Objective is to reduce losses in the in-process inventory because you run a spoilage risk

Typically some losses will occur if several fresh fish items appear on the menu

In-Process Inventory

Two rules are paramount1. Employees should not handle the product

needlessly because this spreads bacteria and hastens the deterioration of fish quality

2. Do not pre-prepared any more fish than chefs can use during the fish