Producedby:FisheriesandAquaculture

Department
Title:Planningandengineeringdata.2.FishCanning...

Moredetails

3.PRODUCTS
3.1General
3.2StandardizationandProductRequirements

3.1General
Importantcannedfishproductsaretunapackedassolidpack,chunks,flakes,gratedorshreddedinwateroroil,sardinesor
sardinelikefishesinoil,tomatosauceorothertypesofsauce,presmokedsardinesinoilortomatosauce,kippers(pre
smokedherring),salmon,mackerel,fishpasteproductsandpetfood.

3.2StandardizationandProductRequirements
Requirementsforalltypeofproductsarethatthecannedfishshallhaveanodourandflavourcharacteristicofthespecies
andtypeofpackingmedium,andbefreefromobjectionableodoursandflavoursofanykind.
ThemainproductrequirementswhicharegiveninCodexstandardsforfishandfisheryproducts(CAC/VOLVEd.1)and
notmentionedelsewhereinthereportaregiveninchapters3.2.1,3.2.2,3.2.3and3.2.4.

3.2.1Tunaspecies
Stylesoftunaareprecooked(packspreparedfromcookedfishwithoutskin)andnotprecooked(solidpacksprepared
directlyfromrawfish)whichmaybepresentedas"skinon").
Solidpackisfishcutintotransversesegmentstowhichnofreefragmentsareadded.Incontainersof450g(onepound)or
lessofnetcontents,suchsegmentsarecutintolengthssuitableforpackingintoonelayer.Incontainersofmorethan450g
(onepound)netcontents,suchsegmentsmaybecutintolengthssuitableforpackinginoneormorelayersofequal
thickness.Nolayershallhaveathicknesslessthan2.5cm(1inch).
Chunkorchunksareamixtureofpiecesofcookedfishmostofwhichhavedimensionsofnotlessthan1.2cm(1/2inch)in
eachdirectionandinwhichtheoriginalmusclestructureisretained.
Flakeorflakesareamixtureofparticlesofcookedfishinwhichthemuscularstructureofthefleshisretained.
Gratedorshreddedareamixtureofparticlesofcookedfishthathavebeenreducedtoauniformsize,andinwhichparticles
arediscreteanddonotcompriseapaste.
CannedtunamaybepackedinoliveoilinconformitywiththeRecommendedInternationalStandardforOliveOil,Virgin
andRefined,andforRefinedOliveResidueOil(CAC/RS331970),orothervegetableoilsclear,refined,deodorized,
ediblevegetableoilinconformitywiththerelevantrecommendedinternationalstandardsadoptedbytheCodexAlimentarius
Commission.
Onopening,thecansshallbewellfilledwithfish.Theproductsshallbepracticallyfreefromskin(exceptwhenpresentedas
"skinon"pack),scales,prominentbloodstreaks,bloodclots,bones,bruises,theredmuscleknownasredmeat.andhoney
combing.Thecolour,texture,odourandflavourshallbecharacteristicofgoodqualitycannedtunaandbonitoofthe
particularspecies.
Forthesolidformofpack,theproportionoffreeflakesbrokeninthecanningoperationshallnotexceed18percentofthe
weightoftheflesh.
Forcannedtunadesignatedaslight,theproductshallbepracticallyfreeofdarkmeat.

3.2.2Sardines
Thefishprecookednornot,smokedorunsmokedshallbeneatlyarrangedwithinthecan.Atleast2fishesshallbe
containedineachcan.
Theproductinacanshallcomprisefishwithareasonableuniformsize,neatlycuttoremovetheheadandwithnoexcessive
ventralbreaks(unsightlyruptureoftheventralarea),orbreaksandcracksintheflesh.
Thecanshallbewellfilledwithfishandthefinalproductshallbefreefromforeignmatter.
Thefishshallbereasonablyfirm,freefrommushiness,withsoftbones.Thecolourofthefleshshallbecharacteristicofthe
speciesandtypeofpack(CodexStan941981)..

3.2.3Salmon
Regularstyleconsistsofcannedsalmontowhichsalthasbeenadded.
Skinlessandbonedsalmonshallconsistofregularpackcannedsalmonfromwhichtheskinandvertebratehavebeen
substantiallyremoved.
Salmontipsortidbitsshallconsistofsmallpiecesofsalmon.
CannedPacificSalmonshallbepreparedfromclean,wholesomesalmon.
Onopeningthecansshallappearwellfilledwithfish.Thebonesshallbesoftandthefleshshallbepracticallyfreefrom
bruises,bloodspots,honeycombingorabnormalcolours.Thecontentsshallbefreefromvisceraandreasonablyfreefrom
piecesofdetachedorlooseskinorscales.Inthecaseofregularpacks,thesectionsoffishshallbearrangedsothatthecut
surfacesareapproximatelyparalleltothe.openedendandtheskinsideparalleltothewallsofthecan.Regularpacksshall
bereasonablefreefromcrosspacksandpiecesofskinorsectionofthevertebraeacrossthetopofthecan(CodexStan3

1981).

3.2.4Shrimps
Stylesofshrimpsareconventionalorregularshrimpsorprawnswhichhavebeenpeeledandsubsequentlycannedwithout
intentionalremovalofthedorsaltractandcleanedordeveinedshrimpsorprawnswhichhavebeenpeeledandinaddition
thebackhasbeencutopenandthedorsaltractremovedatleastuptothelastsegmentnexttothetail.
Inadditiontothemeatoftheshrimpsorprawns,thecontainermayalsocontainaliquidinsufficientvolumetocoverthe
shrimpsorprawns.
Brokenshrimpsorbrokenprawnsarepiecesoftheproductconsistingoflessthanfoursegments.Suchpiecesmayoccur
providedtheydonotoccurinexcessofthetolerancelimitssetinstandard(CodexStan371981).
Cannedshrimpsorprawnsshouldbeclean,generallyuniforminsizeandpreparedwithcarehavegood(firm)sinuosity,
makingthemappearcurvedhaveappetizingappearanceanduniformcolour,characteristicofthespeciesandhabitator
areasfromwhichharvested,evenifartificiallycolourednotbesmearyandnotmorethanslightlysticky.