RE: Inquiry - salt content in tuna

From: Ken Hilderbrand (ken.hilderbrand@hmsc.orst.edu)
Date: Fri Dec 07 2001 - 15:02:04 PST

  • Next message: Klaus Schallie: "Re: Inquiry - salt content in tuna"

    Jon, if you want information on using Quantab salt titrators look in
    SeafoodNIC under "Processing by Method" or go to
    http://seagrant.orst.edu/sgpubs/onlinepubs/QuickSalt.pdf. The publication
    was written for fish smokers but the procedure would apply to most any food
    product.

    Kenneth S. Hilderbrand Jr.
    Seafood Processing Specialist
    Sea Grant Extension Program
    Oregon State Univ. Marine Science Center
    2030 Sth Marine Science Drive
    Newport, Oregon 97365-5296 USA
    phone: 541 867-0242
    fax: 541 867-0369
    email: <ken.hilderbrand@hmsc.orst.edu>

    -----Original Message-----
    From: owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu]On
    Behalf Of P Howgate
    Sent: Friday, December 07, 2001 11:38 AM
    To: pdtom@ucdavis.edu; Seafood HACCP Mailing List
    Subject: Re: Inquiry - salt content in tuna

    Dear Jon

    Tunas frozen at sea are typically held in refrigerated seawater for a few
    days until the hold is full, then frozen in concentrated brine. The tuna
    will absorb salt, the ultimate concentration in the flesh being obviously
    dependent on the time in the seawater/brine, and the size of the fish. This
    salt content is of little concern to tuna canners unless it is very high
    because oftten enough tuna is caned in brine, but salt contents in incoming
    material are usually measured in tuna canning plants so that the salt
    contents of packing brines can be adjusted to give the required content.
    There is an excellent account of the treatment of tunas on seiners, and
    information on salt uptake, in Burns, F.D., 1985, Tuna handling and
    refrigeration on purse seiners, NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-SWR-011.

    Salt content is most accurately and precisely measured by digestion and
    titration, but there is a paper strip method - Quantabs - and salt meters
    based on conductivity of an aquaeous extract are vailable. Check with a
    laboratory suppliers for details.

    Peter Howgate
    US Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, NMFS
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Pamela Tom <pdtom@ucdavis.edu>
    To: Seafood HACCP Mailing List <seafood@ucdavis.edu>
    Sent: Thursday, December 06, 2001 5:15 AM
    Subject: Inquiry - salt content in tuna

    Dear listers,
    I am trying to find information about salt (NaCl) content in tuna. I know
    that the absortion of salt occurs when improperly freezing tuna in brine
    but I'd like to know the process, the reason for this absortion, etc. I am
    also looking for rapid salt content detection systems in tuna. Most
    methods consist on titration. Is there any other rapid reliable method not
    based in titration? What about legislation? I don't find any for salt
    content in tuna products.

    Thank you much,

    Jon Egana
    IKERTEK Diagnostics, S.L.
    Notario Etxagibel, 8-1º
    20500 ARRASATE
    Spain
    ikertek@terra.es



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