General aspects of seafood quality

Abstract

Quality is generally considered as the degree of excellence. Quality is often related to the price at which a commodity is purchased or the purpose for wh1ch it is to be used. In relation to seafoods, quality is the sum total of its composition, nutritive value, degree of freshness, physical damage, deterioration while handling, processing, storage, distribution and marketing, hazards to health, satisfaction on eating and yield and profitability to the producer and middleman. In short, fish quality means all those attributes which a fish consumer considers to•be present individually or collectively in the item. Quality control, in the case of seafoods; means all the steps taken between harvesting and retail trade to protect the quality of the final product. Inspection consists of monitoring which is necessary to measure the effectiveness of the quaHty control procedure and also those official devices which are used to protect the consumer and facilitate trade.