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In the chapter ``Slaughtering Arctic charr'' a technique for bleeding and gutting fish is described, as well as treatment of fish to minimize stress.
Anybody who has slaughtered an animal is familiar with this phenomenon. Shortly after death the carcass turns stiff or rigid (rigor mortis), remains stiff for some time before softening again. The duration of each stage is influenced by several factors. The interval of time between slaughtering until the onset of rigor mortis is of importance for the quality of the fish product. It is important to prolong rigor mortis for as long as possible. In short; the longer the time from slaughtering until rigor mortis is over, the longer the fish is a fresh product. i.e. the unavoidable breakdown of the flesh is slowed down. The aim is to keep glycogen in the muscles for as long as possible. Glycogen produces lactic acid that inhibits bacterial growth, decreasing activity of enzymes in the flesh. A secondary aim is to slow down enzymic activity which means slowing down the breakdown of proteins in fish flesh.
Quality in the slaughtering process involves:
A suggested temperature of 1°C or lower should be maintained in the slaughtering station. The fish should be bled in water of 0-1°C and placed immediately into iced water after gutting and cleaning.
A low temperature of 0°C:
Cleanliness at the work station and personal hygiene are among the most important quality factors. Bacteria of the type that are caused by a lack of hygiene, may have serious consequences for the producer if detected in a fish product.
Inform and instruct your workers on the rules and methods detailed in the cleaning plan. Have instructions on hygiene printed and displayed where people cannot miss them. Never let lapses in regulations go unmentioned and never break the rules yourself. Everything needed to fulfill requirements for hygiene and cleanliness should be immediately on hand. A sanitation plan is required for every food producer. (Refer to the table in appendix 1)
Careful treatment means reducing stress on the fish, avoiding damage before and during slaughter, and preventing bruising and/or cutting the skin/flesh after slaughter. It also means taking care when emptying the guts and washing the fish.
Glycogen has already been mentioned in a preceding chapter. Glycogen is a source of energy (sugar) in fish flesh, which continues to produce energy for some time after the fish has died. In this way it acts against the breakdown of protein. Stress prior to slaughter leads to a loss of glycogen, and shortens the period of pre-rigor mortis.
Cuts and bruises are aesthetically displeasing and lower the class of the product, making it unfit for marketing. Bacteria also have an easier route of access through broken skin or tissues, shortening the shelf-life of the product.
Rough and careless handling at this stage may result in broken membranes, bruises and traces of blood and offal in the gut, encouraging contamination by bacteria.
Instruct and train your workers in careful and correct methods of treatment. Train them to recognize signs of unwanted qualities or deficiencies. Determine steps in the process and determine criteria for quality work at each stage. In short, implement a quality management system.
Blood is an optimal food source for bacteria. Proper bleeding and draining of blood is therefore important to maintain quality. In chapter 6 there are detailed instructions on the bleeding and draining of blood.
Throughout the whole slaughtering process, and all the way to the customer, the aim is to keep the fish fresh and undamaged; it should be kept cold and as close to 0°C as possible during all the stages of the process. The slaughtering and packing process should be continuous to minimize delays where there is a risk of the product being exposed to light, air which is too warm, or excessive time remaining in water.
Make a step by step flow-chart of the slaughtering process and review the organization of your slaughtering station. Can it be redesigned in order to reduce delays and keep the temperature as close to 0°C as possible? Can the time between slaughtering and packing be reduced? Can transport time be shortened?
Quality when packaging charr means that the product is protected against contamination and other external damage, and arranged inside the boxes/containers in such a way that the fish reaches the consumer in the freshest possible condition while not being crushed by the cooling ice nor lying in water. Good protection minimizes losses. It also means that the size and form of packaging is adequate for transport and convenient for the customer, both distributor and consumer. Finally, quality means that the information required by law and agreed with customers is displayed on the packaging along with information required by the producer in order to trace problems back to the source of origin.
Aspects of packaging are covered in chapter 6 - "slaughtering". It is in the interests of the farmer for packaging to sell a product. Inadequate protection and information, as well as sizes which are inconvenient willprobably affect his business more than anybody else's in the delivery chain. The farmer should take care therefore to find out about requirements for packaging, even when he doesn't sell directly to retailers or consumers. Bear in mind that packaging becomes increasingly important the farther away the consumer is from the producer.
Without the modern technology employed in packaging and transport, the international fresh food market would not exist. Fast and safe delivery (safe meaning appropriate temperature and handling) makes it possible to sell fresh charr on distant markets.
Organizing transport all the way to the retailer is all important. Subcontractors can be used, but it is safer to establish a long time contract with someone you trust than to operate on the cheapest possible offer. Building up trust is to mutual advantage - your subcontractor will become familiar with your needs and be able to fulfill them, and with this knowledge will retain you as a faithful client. This ensures extra guarantees for quality transport. Make an effort to find out about the efficiency of your transport contractor. Make enquiries, pay him/her a visit and interview him/her about how he would fulfill your requirements - be explicit about your needs! Monitor his services and let him/her know how they might be improved.
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