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Lessons in handling (xmtmued 



HARVESTING METHODS. A quality control program begins 

 with the fisherman, Thomas says. 



Tbwing nets too long produces catches that are too large. As a 

 result, the fish die before they're landed. The fish's flesh may be 

 punctured and their bodies de-scaled. 



"When dead, badly bruised or exhausted fish are landed, they will 

 have a relatively short period of time in which they are considered 

 fresh or in top quality," Green says. 



Thomas adds, "You're degrading the product even before you bring 

 it on board." 



Photo by Scott Taylor 



HANDLING. Seafood is at its freshest the moment it is 

 pulled from the water. Green says. After that, it's up to the 

 fisherman, the dealer, the processor and the retailer to see 

 that the seafood retains as much of that quality as possible. 



Exposure to sun, wind and high temperatures for even 

 brief periods shortens the time in which seafoods remain 

 in good quality. 



Careless handling can shorten seafood's shelf life by days. 

 And once the fish has begun to deteriorate, nothing you do 

 will reverse that process. 



"Seafood has a built-in memory," Thomas says. "Every 

 time it's mishandled, it remembers. All these things are 

 cumulative." 



COMPOSITION. All foods have to be handled carefully, 

 but seafoods require extra attention because of the 

 delicate nature of the meat, Thomas says. 



Notice how fish flakes when it's cooked. Fish lack the 

 strong connective tissues found in the firmer flesh of red 

 meats. As a result, fish are more susceptible to the rigors 

 of handling than red meats. 



For beef, a little natural deterioration is desirable. Green 

 says, because it help tenderize the meat. But deterioration 

 in seafoods usually produces an off-flavor. 



TEMPERATURE. The special proteins in seafoods 

 make them more susceptible to high temperatures than 

 red meats. Green says. 

 For example, at a constant 32° F, some lean fish can 

 remain fresh for up to 14 days. But raise the temperature one degree 

 to 33° F, and the shelf life drops to only 11 days. 



"If the temperature goes above 40, that fish isn't going to last long," 

 Green says. 



TIME. "When you get fresh fish, it ain't going to be fresh for 

 long," says Wanchese seafood dealer Willie Etheridge III. "You 

 gotta sell it because every day it's another day older." 



At every step from the fisherman to your table, seafood should be 

 moved as quickly as possible, Green says. If a dealer realizes there is 

 no market for his product, he should freeze it immediately. But 

 remember, freezing only locks in the quality that was present then. 

 It doesn't improve quality. 



