Chapter TwentyTwo FISH By Kelly Lonergan Katherine Fleissner

Chapter Twenty-Two FISH By: Kelly Lonergan Katherine Fleissner and Jason Lo

Learning Objectives 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

Fifteen Selection Factors 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

Grades for whole or dressed fish 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 fish fillets and fish products 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

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 container 9. 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-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 Aquaculture= fish farming. Allows for a product of consistent size and quality. Used by large restaurant companies

Class Activity Can you identify these fish? Salmon Yellowtail Herring Mackerel Monkfish Pike Perch

Class Activity Can you identify these fish? Yellowtail Perch Monkfish Mackerel Herring Salmon Pike

Varieties of Fish Common fish varieties the food-service industry uses: Catfish Cod Flounder Mahi-mahi Monkfish Red snapper

Purchasing 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 Fish 1. Acquire reference materials such as The Seafood Handbook, Sea. Food 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

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

Sample Product Specification for Fish Intended use Exact name U. S. Grade PUFI seal Packer’s brand name Product size Product yield Size of container Type of packaging material Packaging procedure Product form Preservation method Packing medium Point of origin

Receiving 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.

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.

Class Activity Match the Market forms of fish to their photo. a) Whole or round: completely intact, as caught b) Drawn: viscera removed d) 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

Market Forms of Fish

Storing 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

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

In-Process Inventory 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

Two rules are paramount 1. 2. Employees should not handle the product needlessly because this spreads bacteria and hastens the deterioration of fish quality Do not pre-prepared any more fish than chefs can use during the fish