Fish quality monitoring for sustainable product safety

Abstract

To provide consumers with high-quality and safe products, to prevent the entry of low-quality and dangerous food products into the consumer market, monitoring programs are provided. The results of monitoring samples of frozen fish of various families and species for the period 2020–2022 have been given. Labeling, organoleptic indicators of fish samples have been analyzed for compliance with the requirements of regulatory documents. The mass fraction of glaze, the mass fraction of phosphates in terms of P2O5, the content of histamine, toxic elements: lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic have been determined. Labeling deficiencies are revealed in 1.3 % of the samples. A small, inaccessible font (less than 9 points) makes it difficult for the consumer to obtain complete information about the product. An excess of the mass fraction of glaze on average 0.7–0.8 % in pike perch samples has been revealed. The actual values of the mass fraction of phosphates have not exceeded the maximum allowable limits. The lowest content of phosphates has been noted in samples of pike perch (from 2.3 to 2.0 g/kg), the highest in pink salmon (from 5.0 to 4.1 g/kg) and salmon (5.2–4.7 g/kg). The content of histamine in all samples has been within the normal range. The smallest amount of histamine has been found in samples of mackerel (from 18.0 to 11.0 mg/kg) and pollock (17.0–11.0 mg/kg), the largest in pink salmon (25.0–16.0 mg/kg) and herring (22.0–19.0 mg/kg). The concentration of heavy metals has not exceeded the maximum allowable values. The results obtained are of practical importance for manufacturers in the development of labeling that satisfies consumer demand for information about the product and for consumers in the formation of the diet.