Dried salted fish

Infobox on Dried salted fish
Example of Dried salted fish
Facts
Origin	see general page Fish
Stowage factor (in m3/t)	see general page Fish
Humidity / moisture	see general page Fish
Ventilation	see general page Fish
Risk factors	see general page Fish

Dried salted fish

Description

For more information, see Fish.

Shipped in cases or bales. Damage may be due to overlong transportation, changes of climate. And to improper curing and infection by red mite.

Slight outside damage from water or humidity will cause certain depreciation even to well-cured fish, especially when packed in bales, the fish on the top and the bottom of cases or bales becoming moist and damp; this is often the cause of ‘Dun’ or ‘Black-mite’, a type of fungus. This is harmless and does not make the fish less edible, nor provoke deterioration, but spoils the appearance of the fish. The extent of damage by moistness, red mite infection, etc., depends on the temperatures during the voyage, ventilation on board and the temperatures at the port of discharge.

A slimy skin, soft or pulpy flesh, somewhat discoloured with a musty smell, is not necessarily the result of water damage, but may be due to defective salting. Dried salted fish is easily damaged by sea water or contact with oil and grease, and is subject to loss in weight when shipped from Norway during July and August.

Dried salted cod, pollock, etc., shipped from Canada to various West Indian ports are usually cured fairly lightly and will not stand any delay, especially in hot climates. The first signs of deterioration are that the flesh starts to turn pink in the vicinity of the head, eventually the fish becomes a liquid mass. Care should be taken by the surveyor not to mistake this deterioration as being due to contact with water.