Effect of reducing the curing period on the quality of salted fish.

The salting process is considered complex due to several biochemical, physicochemical, and microbiological factors, which must be monitored to maintain product quality. The salting process in small agribusinesses is still carried out using the traditional method (dry or mixed salting), requiring an evaluation of the technology used to maintain quality. This study aimed to reduce the curing time of fish in tanks using the mixed salting method, ensuring the minimum quality characteristics recommended by law. The species marketed was chestnut (Umbrina canosai), and as a result, it was found that it is possible to reduce the curing time from 8 to 6 days, maintaining 30% salt in the tanks without affecting product quality. The pH and % absorption of NaCl were monitored during the curing period and the determinations performed were physicochemical for fresh fish (PF) and salted fish (PS): Total Volatile Bases (BVT), Trimethylamine (TMA), Thiobarbituric Acid Index (TBA), Peroxide Index (IP) whose results obtained for BVT = varied between PF and PS (24.2 to 27.40mg/100g sample respectively), TMA = for PF and PS (1.0 to 6.0mg/100g sample), TBA = for PS samples between the normal and reduced curing period (2.5 to 0.42mg MA/Kg sample) and IP = for PS samples between the normal and reduced curing period (2.02 to 1.25meq.peroxide/Kg sample). The product moisture results over 10 months of PS storage showed a reduction of 18%, in accordance with the legislation for the sampled batches. The results of the microbiological determinations were within the legislative standards for all determinations performed, reaffirming the possibility of reducing the curing period of fish in tanks, without losing the quality of the product and the process.