This technology is a manufacturing method for producing semi-dried fish with a moisture content of 50–59% by washing and trimming frozen fish in 9.1% brine, salting it in 4% brine, and drying it under vacuum using infrared rays. By optimizing the conditions for each process—washing, salting, and drying—it reduces the bacteria and volatile compounds that cause off-odors.
While demand for semi-dried fish as a convenience food is growing, its fishy odor has hindered mass-market appeal. Using frozen fish exacerbates this odor due to the thawing process and long distribution periods. Small-scale processors often rely on traditional air-drying due to cost constraints, leading to poor quality control; in fact, common bacteria, coliforms, and staphylococci have been detected in commercial semi-dried rockfish products.
This technology involves washing fish in brine for 60 minutes while removing inedible parts like viscera and bones, followed by salting for 3.5 to 4.5 hours, and drying under 31,325 Pa vacuum pressure using infrared rays at 35°C for 12 hours or 40°C for 6 hours. After each process, bacterial colonies and volatile basic nitrogen levels drop below standards, and trimethylamine, a key fishy odor component, is not detected. Applicable to producing seafood convenience foods like semi-dried rockfish or croaker, improving hygiene in seafood plants using frozen raw materials, and upgrading facilities for small-scale local processors, it reduces both odor and bacterial contamination while producing consistent quality faster than air-drying.
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