Within the European Community there is an obligation on the fishing industry to grade certain species of fish and shellfish before first sale according to standards laid down by EEC Regulations. Fish must be sorted into lots which are homogeneous with respect to freshness and size. This Guide is only concerned with freshness grades. The fish must be put into one of 3 freshness categories: E, A or B for all species included in the regulations.
The Freshness Grades in the EC Grading Rules for Fish (Council Regulation EEC No 103/76, and subsequent amendments: Council Regulations 3166/82, 3396/85, 3940/87, 33/89; Commission Regulations 3250/83, 3356/87) are based on the sensory assessment of fresh fish using visual parameters of general appearance, the texture and physical properties of the skin and membranes, and the odours of the gills which are particularly discriminatory in discerning the freshness or the degree of spoilage of the fish.
Since their introduction in 1970, the Grading Rules have been extended to an increasing number of species of both white fleshed and fatty fish and have even been applied to grade fillets of some species. Currently, the 33 fish species included in the Regulations are:
|
cod |
Gadus morhua |
|
haddock |
Melanogrammus aeglefinus |
|
saithe |
Pollachius virens |
|
pollack |
Pollachius pollachius |
|
whiting |
Merlangius merlangus |
|
blue whiting |
Micromesistius poutassou |
|
plaice |
Pleuronectes platessa |
|
redfish |
Sebastes spp |
|
hake |
Merluccius merluccius |
|
ling |
Molva spp |
|
herring |
Clupea harengus |
|
mackerel |
Scomber scombrus |
|
horse mackerel |
Trachurus spp |
|
sardine |
Sardina pilchardus |
|
anchovy |
Engraulis spp |
|
spiny dogfish |
Squalus acanthias |
|
spotted dogfish |
Scyliorhinus spp |
|
Spanish mackerel |
Scomber japonicus |
|
megrim |
Lepidorhombus spp |
|
dab |
Limanda limanda |
|
Ray's bream |
Brama spp |
|
monkfish |
Lophius spp |
|
albacore |
Thunnus alalunga |
|
bluefin tuna |
Thunnus thynnus |
|
bigeye |
Thunnus or Parathunnus obesus |
|
lemon sole |
Microstomus kitt |
|
pout |
Trisopterus luscus |
|
bogue |
Boops boops |
|
picarel |
Maena smaris |
|
conger eel |
Conger conger |
|
gurnard |
Trigla spp |
|
mullet |
Mugil spp |
|
skate |
Raja spp |
