L 



MAINE SARDINE INDUSTRY. 57 



The results obtained (Table 26) show that a sufficient amount of 

 water was abstracted from the fish in all cases except one. Less water 

 was removed in the cannery equipped with the kiln drier than in 

 those equipped with the air drier, and much less than in the one 

 equipped with the Ferris wheel drier. In Cannery E, equipped 

 with an air (tunnel) drier, practically no water was removed. 

 Throughout the test, as the results indicate, very little attention was 

 shown in this cannery to the important feature of drying. It is 

 apparent that the air driers, with the exception of that in Can- 

 nery E, and the kiln drier removed a sufficient quantity of water, 

 while the plant equipped with the Ferris wheel oven drier did not. 

 The degree of dryness of the fish on the next day on which samples 

 were taken varies widely. On October 9, which was a rainy day, 

 drying was not efficient, scarcely enough in any of the canneries to 

 remove the proper amount of water from the fish before packing. 



These results indicate that a great variation in the degree of 

 drying sardines existed among the different canneries on the same 

 day. It is probable also that variations in the degree of dryness of 

 the fish exist in the same factory on the same day. 



Intermittent Drying. 



The practice of intermittent drying, adopted by a few canneries in 

 the preparation of mustard size fish, consists in allowing the larger fish 

 to stand for a period of from 8 to 10 hours after the first drying, and 

 then drying them for an additional hour or so just prior to packing. 

 This should be done only in the case of cut and eviscerated fish and 

 those which have been handled in a sanitary manner, because of the 

 possibility of the development of bacteria in the viscera and contents 

 of uncut fish (p. 86). Fish which have not been cut and eviscerated 

 should not be permitted to stand in the driers overnight, as moist 

 fish furnish an excellent medium for the growth of bacteria. 



Effect of Cutting and Eviscerating the Fish. 



It was found that the drying process was aided by cutting and 

 eviscerating the fish, particularly those of mustard size. Drying is 

 thus facilitated by the removal of the large amount of water in and 

 surrounding the viscera, which is particularly difficult to drive off 



from the uncut fish. 



Conclusions. 



The factors in drying which can be controlled by the canners and 

 which are essential in obtaining a uniform degree of dryness are an 

 even, thin flaking of the fish, the volume and temperature, within 

 proper limits, of the air, in the tunnel type of drier, and the time of 

 drying. Too high a temperature of the oven or of the air used in 

 drying must be avoided on account of the resulting loss of oil from 



