4. Frozen shrimp/fish
In commercial practice, prawns are frozen in different forms -
Whole, Headless shell on, Peeled and deveined, cooked and
peeled, peeled and cooked, peeled deveined and cooked.
The material is frozen in trays at -35°C to 40°C in contact plate
freezers/tunnel freezers, after which it is dipped in ice water to
give a thin coating of ice, wrapped in polythene paper and packed
in waxed duplex cartons.
The shelf life of block frozen glazed prawns at -20°C will vary
from 24 weeks to 40 weeks depending upon the species and type
of pack.
5.
6. IQF products
There is good demand for individually quick frozen (IQF) prawns in international markets.
For preparation of IQF products, belt freezers, fluidized bed freezers or liquid nitrogen
freezers are to be employed.
IQF products require special care during processing, packaging, storage and transport. It is
very difficult to glaze IQF prawns and when packed without glazing, the chances of
desiccation are more.
During storage and transportation too utmost care has to be taken to maintain the proper
temperature otherwise the material will get partially thawed and will stick together forming
a lump.
7. Value addition in fish processing technology:
Fish oil capsules:
Value addition is an expanding sector in the food processing
industry, especially in export markets.
Fish oil is a form of fatty acid that is derived from the tissues of
oily fish.
It contains the omega-3 fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic
acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoi acid (DHA).
8.
9. Surimi
Surimi is prepared from the mechanically deboned, washed (bleached) and
stabilised flesh of fish.
"It is an intermediate product used in the preparation of a variety of ready to
eat seafood such as kamaboko, fish sausage, crab legs and imitation shrimp
products.
Surimi-based products are gaining more prominence worldwide, because of
the emergence of Japanese restaurants and culinary traditions in North
America, Europe and elsewhere.
12. Irradiation
Process in which food products are exposed to a controlled
amount of radiant energy such as gamma rays /electron beams.
Uncharged electromagnetic radiations emitted from exited
nucleus of radioactive elements such as 60Co, 137Cs etc.
Gamma rays have excellent penetration power and penetrate
almost anything -can penetrate food up to a depth of 20 cm and
effective as bactericidal agents.
13.
14. Retort pouch processing
As in canning, retort pouch food is sterilized after packing, but
the sterilizing procedure differs. The pouches are processed in an
over pressure retort.
The time and temperature will be standardized depending on the
product. With the availability of retort pouches it can function as
an excellent import substitute for metallic cans.
15. Extrusion
Extrusion cooking is used in the manufacture of food products such as ready-
to-eat breakfast cereals, expanded snacks, and pasta, fat-bread, soup and drink
bases.
The raw material in the form of powder at ambient temperature is fed into
extruder at a known feeding rate.
The material first gets compacted and then softens and gelatinizes and/or melts
to form a plasticized material, which flows downstream into extruder channel.
Basically an extruder is a pump, heat exchanger and bio-reactor that
simultaneously transfer, mixes, heats, shears, stretches, shapes and transforms
chemically and physically at elevated pressure and temperature in a short time.
16.
17. Institute of fish processing technology
The Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) is an autonomous
organization engaged in research related to fishing and fish processing in India.
To conduct basic, strategic and applied research in fishing and fish
processing.
To develop designs for fuel efficient fishing vessels and fishing gear for
responsible fishing.
To develop technologies for commercial isolation of bioactive compounds and
industrially important products from fish and fishery wastes.
To design innovative implements and machineries for fishing and fish
processing and pilot plants for facilitating commercialization of technologies
developed.
To do advanced research in food safety in fish and fishery products.
18. National Institute of fisheries Post
harvest technology and training
The Institute has its Head Quarters in Cochin and a unit in Visakhapatnam.
Technology development and transfer to beneficiaries consisting of rural
fishermen community, small scale industries and Export Processing Houses
through consultancy and job work.
Imparting training in the field of post-harvest technology, refrigeration
technology, Quality control and value added products.
Providing consultancies and training for rural development programmes /
women empowerment programmes in fish processing, supporting local fish
farmers, self-help groups of fisher community, fishermen’s cooperative
societies functioning under Panchayath Raj Institution.
19. CONCLUSION
Providing food security to global population is a challenging task.
Aquatic foods play a vital role in addressing issue of Food &
Nutritional security.
Product diversification, value addition, increasing exports and
reducing post-harvest losses can contribute to economic growth
and to reduce hunger in the world. Consumers demand high
quality processed products with minimal changes in nutritional
and sensory properties.