Fish smoke-drying technology

Abstract

Smoking is an ancient method of food preservation, which is also known as smoke curing, produces products with very high salt content and low water activity. Smoking is a process of treating fish by exposing it to smoke from smouldering wood or plant materials to introduce flavour, taste, and preservative ingredients into the fish. This process is usually characterised by an integrated combination of salting, drying, heating and smoking steps in a smoking chamber. The drying effects during smoking, together with the antioxidant and bacteriostatic effects of the smoke, allow smoked products to have extended shelf-life. Smoked seafood includes different varieties like, smoked finfish and smoked bivalves. Many of the smoked products are in the form of ready-to-eat.