THE FOOD VALUE OF FISH 



119 



removal of so much water from the flesh of the fish. 

 Freshly caught cod flesh contains about 80 per cent 

 water and 17 per cent protein ; after being dry-salted 

 for export it contains about 25 per cent of water and 

 55 per cent protein. 



Thus, 1 Ib of dry cod is equal in food value to about 

 3 Ibs. of fresh cod. The increased food value of salted 

 fish will be seen from the following analyses 



THE EFFECT OF CURING AND DRYING UPON THE FOOD 

 VALUE OF DIFFERENT FISHES 



Thus, the food value of salted sprats or herrings per 

 pound is 50 per cent more than that of the same fish 

 when fresh. 



The original food value of a fish is generally diminished 

 by the cooking process. The fish may be boiled or broiled 

 for direct consumption, or it may be steam cooked in 

 cans and sealed up for future consumption, as in the 

 canning industry. When oily fishes, such as herrings, 

 are cooked, the oil globules burst and some of the oil 

 is lost, and the food value of the fish becomes correspond- 

 ingly less. When salted fish is soaked in fresh water 

 before being cooked, some of the gelatin and other 

 coagulable proteins are extracted from the flesh. This 

 loss of protein can be checked either by broiling the 



