Afresh 



I 



Seafood 

 Quality 



Photo by Scott Taylor 



Skip Kemp preparing a 

 fresh catch 



hen the total on the cash register reads more for tuna 

 or mackerel than it does for fillet mignon, you want 

 the best. 



That means a fish that looks good, smells good and 

 above all tastes good. 

 You don't buy marginally fresh fish anymore. 

 You've read the magazines, food columns and 

 cookbooks, and you've learned to sniff the catch and 

 check behind the gills. 

 You, the almighty consumer, are demanding, not 

 asking, for the same quality and freshness from your oysters and 

 halibut as you do from your chicken, pork and beef. 



Seafood distributors, retailers and restaurateurs are getting the 

 message. And the government is listening too. 



Congress has allocated $400,000 to the National Marine Fisheries 

 Service to explore options for fishery production inspection. 



Unlike beef, pork and poultry, seafood is not continuously inspected 

 by U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Drug officials. 



But Steve Otwell, Florida Sea Grant seafood specialist, says that 

 doesn't mean seafood evades government scrutiny. 



Seafood processors and retailers are subject to periodic inspection 

 by county, state and federal agencies, he says. 



And the National Marine Fisheries Service does conduct a volun- 

 tary inspection program. Processors pay to participate, and they 

 receive a product grade. 



Generally, Clark Calloway of Clark's Seafood Co. Inc. in Beaufort 

 believes the quality of seafood has improved during the last five 

 years. Retailers and distributors are demanding better quality fish 

 and shellfish from their suppliers— fishermen and fish houses. 



Calloway prefers to buy fish and shellfish that were iced immediate- 

 ly after being hauled from the water. He knows that an hour off ice 

 will shorten the shelf life of any fish by days. 



But fishermen don't always take the extra time or go to the expense 

 to carry ice. 

 The reason? 



Fish houses can't always pay them for their trouble. 



Frequently market supplies, demands and prices prevent buyers 

 from paying extra. 



But some fish houses and processors add in a few extra cents for 

 well-handled, properly iced seafood. And with everyone becoming 

 more quality conscious, it may be a trend that is growing. 



But quality goes beyond fishermen. Processors and distributors 

 must take some responsibility, too. 



Calloway says with the use of better and more refrigeration in 



