Processing of fish is perhaps the oldest branch of animal food processing technology. Sea-fish has been the staple food of coastal people from time immemorial. Fish landings are highly seasonal and storage has been important issue for mankind. The oldest method of fish processing practised by man is sun-drying. It was followed by salt curing and then smoke drying. It is difficult to date when fish drying was started. However, it was reported that during the excavations of Pompei in Rome, an urn was discovered containing dried fish powder.
Fish sauce, salted fermented fish decoction, has been popular in China even before the start of the Christian Era. Fermented fish still commands a major market among traditionally processed fish products in all South-East Asian countries.
The oldest modem method of fish processing is canning and this i4 still popular. Modern methods like freezing and freeze-drying saw its wide-scale commercial application only in the 1950's. Frozen fish is the most extensively traded merchandize among the marine products. Demands for processed fish and fishery products saw setting up of a chain of fish-processing factories all over the world. Today, processed fishery products command a major share in the super markets of all developed nations. |
