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REFRIGERATION

Food storage

How to store fresh fish

Fresh fish spoils faster than most meat. Fish live in cold water, so the bacteria and enzymes in their flesh are active at lower temperatures, and quality starts to drop within hours if fish is kept warm. The target is 0 to +2 °C, which in practice means fish packed in plenty of crushed or flake ice in a cold fridge. Fish held at a normal fridge setting of 5 °C without ice loses freshness noticeably faster. Some species, such as tuna and mackerel, can also produce histamine when kept warm, which causes illness and is not destroyed by cooking.

  • Chilled0 to +2 °C
  • Frozen−18 °C or colder

Do

  • Check fish on arrival: bright clear eyes, red gills, firm flesh and a fresh sea smell. Reject fish that is warm or smells sour.
  • Pack whole fish and fillets in crushed ice in perforated trays so meltwater drains away.
  • Replenish ice through the day, and keep the trays inside a refrigerator, not just on an ice slab in a warm room.
  • Gut whole fish soon after receipt if you will hold it; guts spoil fast.
  • Store fish on the lowest shelves, covered, away from ready-to-eat food.
  • Keep scombroid species such as tuna, mackerel (bangda) and sardine especially cold and use them quickly.

Avoid

  • Do not let fish sit in meltwater; it softens flesh and spreads bacteria.
  • Do not use ice made from non-potable water or industrial ice.
  • Do not store fish in sealed plastic bags inside a warm fridge.
  • Do not refreeze thawed fish.

In Indian conditions

Coastal markets in India often display fish on ice slabs in hot, humid conditions. Restaurants should transfer fish into chilled, iced storage quickly after purchase. Inland cities receive fish that has travelled long distances, sometimes not well iced, so check it carefully on receipt. Salt air and humidity in coastal cities corrode fridge components; choose stainless interiors and clean them regularly. In monsoon, fishing bans and supply drops mean many kitchens rely on frozen fish; a reliable freezer becomes essential. During power cuts, add extra ice to fish trays and keep doors shut.

General good practice for commercial kitchens and shops. Where your FSSAI licence conditions or food-safety plan set stricter limits, follow those.