CALIFORNIA PISH AND GAME, 



133 



The California sardine is a true sardine 

 scarcely to be distinguished from the 

 sardine of Europe, and should not be con- 

 fused with the species of herring which 

 are being canned in other places and 

 labeled as sardines. The scientific status 

 of the California sardine and its relation 

 to the other species of sardines and "sar- 

 dine herrings" is set forth by Mr. Will F. 

 Thompson in the October. 1021, issue of 

 this magazine, in an article entitled "The 

 Sardine of California." It is there shown 

 very clearly that the California sardine 

 (Sarclina coerulea) is a true sardine. An 

 article to the same effect by Professor 

 E. C. Starks of Stanford University ap- 

 peared in the April, 1918, number of this 

 magazine. 



The Fish and Game Commission is 

 taking the matter up with the Chilean 

 authorities, with the hope that they will 

 give our fish the proper designation of 

 "sardine." At the request of some can- 

 ners the commission has issued a certifi- 

 cate to the effect that our fish are true 

 sardines and not herring. 



WORK OF THE CALIFORNIA LABOR- 

 ATORY OF THE BUREAU OF 

 FISHERIES. 



During- the past fiscal year, while the 

 Bureau of Fisheries' experimental labora- 

 tory at San Pedro was being operated by 

 the Fish and Game Commission, investi- 

 gations were carried on to determine 

 what changes take place in the "fry bath" 

 oil used for frying sardines. A report on 

 this work is being published by the 

 commission (circular No. 1). 



In frying the large sardines for packing 

 in pound cans, as it is practiced in the 

 industry, the fry-bath oil quickly becomes 

 dark in color and imparts a distinct and 

 not altogether agreeable flavor to the 

 sardines being fried. This oil has to be 

 frequently discarded, and on that account 

 contributes very materially to the ex- 

 pense of canning. It was therefore the 

 object of the work at the bureau's labora- 

 tory to find some way, if possible, to 

 purify and reclaim this oil and find out 

 what changes caused the, peculiar odor 

 and taste in the oil and to devise some 

 way to remedy it. 



Several different oils have been used by 

 the industry for frying the sardines, but 

 cottonseed oil is the one commonly used. 

 In the experiments it was found that 

 corn oil or a liydrogenated oil does 



equally as well. In regard to the changes 

 which take place in this fry oil, it was 

 found that when fat sardines are fried — 

 and the larger sardines are usually fat 

 — the fry oil in a very short time becomes 

 largely sardine oil. It is the presence of 

 sardine oil in the fry bath which causes 

 most of the trouble it was sought to 

 correct. Sardine oil becomes easily oxi- 

 dized by heat and contact with the air, 

 and it is oxidized sardine oil which im- 

 parts the slight odor and taste to the 

 canned product. No way was found to 

 prevent the sardine oil from getting into 

 the fry oil, and no economical means was 

 found of purifying and reclaiming the fry 

 oil or of preventing the oxidation of the 

 sardine oil in the process of frying. The 

 investigator, Mr. Beard, considers it im- 

 probable that any cheap successful means 

 will be found. 



The negative results of the experiments 

 in purifying and reclaiming the fry-bath 

 oil forced Mr. Beard to the conclusion 

 that the best way to avoid the disagree- 

 able taste imparted to the sardines and 

 to lessen the cost of packing was to elim- 

 inate the process of frying in oil. The 

 work of the laboratory during the pres- 

 ent fiscal year has been largely devoted to 

 methods of packing sardines in which oil 

 frying has been eliminated. In these ex- 

 periments the sardines were precooked in 

 steam and in boiling brine, and they were 

 also packed without precooking. It is 

 believed that a method has been found 

 which will lessen the cost of packing and 

 at the same time result in a better pack, 

 one which will be more palatable and di- 

 gestible, and will "stand up" in shipping 

 as well or better than the "fried in oil" 

 pack. 



The Bureau of Fisheries laboratory has 

 issued pamphlets to California canners 

 describing this method, and sample cans 

 will be furnished to canners if they are 

 interested. The results Avere given im- 

 mediately to the canners. so that they 

 might try out the method during the 

 present season. 



The California sardine is a very excel- 

 lent fish and deserves a high place among 

 the canned foods of the United States. 

 It seems necessary, however, that im- 

 provements be made in the pound oval 

 pack and that an organized publicity 

 campaign be launched if the California 

 sardine is to win the place in the minds 

 of the people of the United States which 

 it deserves. 



