WWW.WA S .ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2022 63 ( C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 6 4 ) Freshly caught sardines are immersed into a brining vat for about 12 to 18 h. Ice is also placed in the vat to prevent the fish from being cooked and burnt during the brining process (Photo: A.A.A. Ching). The HPC is the number of heterotrophs, which are bacteria that utilize organic carbon as a carbon source. Although heterotrophs pose no threat to consumers, a high HPCmay indicate ideal growth conditions for other microorganisms, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Mycobacterium avium, and Xanthomonas maltophilia, among others (Ashbolt et al. 2001, Bartram et al. 2013, Feliatra et al. 2019). Determination of HPC in water is also used to confirm if the water treatment employed is sufficient. The PNSDWhas also set standards for the maximum allowable level of inorganic and organic materials found in water. These materials are often attributed to industrial pollution and other anthropogenically-sourced waste found near the main water source (Philippine National Standards and Department of Health 2017). Inorganic materials such as antimony, arsenic, barium and boron are just a few contaminants determined by the PNSDW. Industrial organic pollutants, such as benzene, carbon tetrachloride and dichloromethane, are also listed. Determination of the presence of such materials ensures food safety. The physico-chemical characteristics of water (e.g., pH, total hardness, taste, odor and turbidity) affect the sensory characteristics of drinking water, which are crucial to consumer acceptability of the product. Some physico-chemical characteristics also influence each other, such as total dissolved solids (TDS), hardness and taste. For example, a water with high TDS also had high hardness and bitter taste (World Health Organization 1996, Rahmanian et al. 2015). These water characteristics also affect the processing equipment. Water with high TDS and high hardness level may result in scaling that decreases the efficiency of machinery. The Salting and Drying Process Different methods have been utilized to preserve fishery products to extend shelf-life. The most common ways of fish preservation in the Philippines are salting, drying and smoking; fermenting; and bottling or canning (Wernstedt and Spencer 1968, National Research Council 1988). At times, a combination of these processing technologies is employed to ensure a longer shelf-life and add different flavor profiles to the product. Salting and drying are traditional methods of preserving fish practiced in the Philippines. These methods are often used by municipal fishers to make profit from their catch (BFAR 2017, PSA 2018). Fish is either whole or split in half prior to drying (BMSMED 2009a) and some fish are salted and smoked (BMSMED 2009b). Freshly harvested fish are thoroughly cleaned and have their The best place to buy various dried, salted fishery products are the large public wet markets scattered around the cities of the country. A market vendor prepares and organizes his products at the Farmer’s Market in Cubao, a central wet market in the country’s capital (Photo: John Joseph C. Calata). A house-to-house fish vendor sells limited quantities of dried, salted and smoked fish products, which usually come from fishing communities or cooperatives. House-to-house vendors are still common in small towns and villages all over the country. Some of them sell fresh fish and seafood too (Photo: Ryan Kenneth Narvaez).
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