Why salt matters in fish processing
Salt draws water out of fish tissue by osmosis and lowers water activity, which slows the growth of most spoilage bacteria. Dry salting relies on this when fish is sprinkled with salt or stacked in alternate layers with it; wet salting does the same by soaking fish in brine. Dried salted fish is made by salting first and then sun-drying or mechanically drying the fish.
In fermented products such as fish sauce and terasi (shrimp paste), large amounts of salt are mixed with fish or shrimp and left to ferment. The high salt level suppresses spoilage organisms while enzymes from the raw material and salt-tolerant microbes build flavour. Because salt makes up a large share of the finished product, its cleanliness and taste carry straight into it.
Crystal size matters. Coarse salt dissolves more slowly, so salt enters the flesh gradually. Salt that is too fine in dry salting can harden the surface of the fish before the inside is salted enough. High calcium and magnesium content in low-grade salt is known to slow salt penetration and can add bitterness, so a cleaner grade is the safer choice for high-value products.
Recommended products
Typical selection for fish processing. Confirm against your specification and a sample test.
| Product | Why it is chosen | Product page |
|---|---|---|
| Coarse salt K1 (non-iodized) | The whitest, cleanest grade in the literature description. Used for dried salted fish, fermented fish, fish sauce and products sold on appearance. | Coarse Salt K1 |
| Coarse salt K2 (non-iodized) | For high-volume salting and brine, for example holding the catch before processing, where the look of the salt does not affect the selling price. | Coarse Salt K2 |
Grade descriptions follow the general Indonesian salt-industry literature. Ventura's NaCl, moisture and insoluble-matter values are published per batch on the COA.
Coarse crystals from the salt pans
Krosok is sea salt harvested from evaporation pans and left unmilled. Processors also call it coarse salt or gosrok. The uneven crystal size suits dry salting, because the larger crystals dissolve slowly while the fish is stacked.
The differences between K1, K2 and K3 are explained on the salt grades page. K3 is rarely chosen for fish because it is greyer and its impurities can end up in the product.
Buying considerations
- Iodine: coarse K1 and K2 are non-iodized. If your fish products are sold in a market that requires iodized consumption salt, such as Malaysia since 30 September 2020 (Malaysian Ministry of Health), check whether the rule covers salt used as a processing ingredient.
- Packaging: 25 kg and 50 kg woven PP sacks, or 1-tonne jumbo bags for bulk use at the plant. Available formats, confirm per order.
- Documents: COA per batch and Halal certificate (certificate number [awaiting data]). Export documents beyond these follow the destination's requirements; see export.
- Storage: salt picks up moisture from the air. Keep sacks on pallets in a covered warehouse, away from strong-smelling goods.
- Volume: estimate monthly need with the salt requirement calculator using the salt ratio from your own recipe.
Related pages
- Salt grades K1, K2, K3 How the coarse grades differ.
- Salt requirement calculator From production volume to number of sacks.
- All applications Typical selection for six industries.