抄録
Dried salted fishes are some of the more common high quality, but cheap protein sources in the Philippines. Furthermore, production of salted fishes is the most common livelihood activity in near-shore villages in the country. This work sought to characterize and compare quality attributes of sun- and mechanically dried salted herrings in order to determine whether such products comply with established national standards; and identify key quality attributes that need to be addressed and improved by processors. The microbiological quality parameters including Total Plate Counts, Yeasts and Molds, Coliforms and Escherichia coli of all sun- and mechanically dried samples were compliant with national standards. Staphylococcus aureus of one sun-dried sample was however 0.7 log CFU/g higher than the limit and should be addressed through good hygienic and manufacturing practices. Physicochemical quality attributes of the samples did not significantly vary; while the sun-dried samples from Quezon were consistently given higher sensory scores. The results established in this work can serve as baseline information for the continuous effort to improve and maintain quality and safety of such products, especially that the country has just ratified the Philippine Food Safety Act of 2013; and as the country prepares for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) integration in 2015.
