Now Chemistry Keeps Salty Taste Balanced In Smoked Fish

The researchers are using a machine--called a near infrared spectrophotometer--that analyzes the salt content of the fish to be processed while the fish are still alive. Traditionally, processors have had to kill the fish, grind up a portion of the meat or roe, and use a chemical method to measure salt content, thereby wasting part of the product. The spectrophotometer incorporates an optical-fiber probe that touches the scales of the living fish and records the volume of water and fat, which are known to be proportionate to salt content, in the meat or roe. Knowing the precise amount of salt already present in the fish, food processors can add the amount needed to meet safety standards and, at the same time, avoid sending overly salted products to the marketplace.

A nonprofit organization with a membership of more than 155,000 chemists and chemical engineers as its members, the American Chemical Society publishes scientific journals and databases, convenes major research conferences, and provides educational, science policy and career programs in chemistry. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.