HISTOLOGICAL, PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL CHANGES IN FRESH AND FROZEN/THAWED FISH

Abstract

The production and supply of fish as food is constantly growing worldwide. Various methods are applied to extend its shelf life, one of them being freezing. According to European Union legislation, the state of the food and its treatment must be indicated on the label. If the food had been frozen prior to marketing and then sold thawed, this information must be provided to the consumer by labelling it. Otherwise, this is considered a fraud to the consumer since freezing significantly degrades the quality of fish. Histological, physicochemical and microbiological changes in the muscle tissue of frozen fish occur. Different methods may be applied to distinguish between fresh and frozen and them thawed fish, of which histological examination is a reliable method.

Keywords

• fish
• freezing
• histological changes