Salmon Quality Assessment

It is a requirement of the Farm Standard for participating farms to submit a Pre-Harvest sample (minimum of three fish) for quality assessment and residue testing one month prior to harvest. SSQC also provides an independent Quality Assessment service for the fish farming and processing industries on request.

For standard quality assessment, the following measurements are made:

• Length
• Round Weight
• Gutted Weight
• Fat content
• Colour

Colour evaluation is carried out using the Roche Colour Card or Fan, as required. Colour assessment must be carried out in controlled conditions because different light sources can distort the assessors perception of colour. Assessment is therefore performed using a light box fitted with artificial day light fluorescent tubes that produce a colour temperature in excess of 5000 K.

The Soxhlet method is used for fat content analysis using Soxtec extraction equipment.