Fillet (fish)

Frozen fish fillets in the foreground

A fillet is a section of a fish that is of an unspecified size and shape, i.e. has grown naturally, and that is obtained by cutting parallel to the back bone. In addition, the skin and the belly flaps of the fish have to be removed from the fillet and the fillet must be practically boneless . The fillet is the most commercially significant part of the fish.

Basics and definition

When a piece of fish can be referred to as fillet is determined by national or international definition. According to the German food book , the corresponding cuts must be peeled so that they are considered fillets. According to the Codex Alimentarius , the respective sections may also be brought into circulation with skin on and be referred to as fillet. According to the Austrian food handbook, fillets of herrings, sprats, mackerel and other fish of comparable size may contain the belly flaps in addition to the skin. In any case, it is crucial that the section is cut from a specific, defined body part, the lateral muscles of the fish. It is also of great importance that the fillet is practically free of bones, so it does not contain more than one or two bones per kilo, depending on the definition. In the case of smaller fish such as herrings, mackerel or others, it is also possible to leave the two small fillets connected to form a single fillet. Fillets of larger fish can also be divided into smaller portions. In addition, fish fillets can be frozen into larger coherent blocks and then cut into slices or shaped pieces.

Manufacturing

The production of fish fillets takes place in several steps. It can be done both manually and by machine. The abdominal flaps are usually removed first. Subsequently, incisions are made with a knife at certain points in the fish. The incisions are made parallel along the back on the right and left next to the dorsal fins, then towards the abdomen, leaving out the body cavity. In addition, a longitudinal incision is made along the stomach that extends to the subcutaneous tissue of the back. Then the skin of the fish is peeled off. Finally, the fillets are separated from the body and the bones are removed as far as possible .

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Bundesverband Fisch (Ed.): Guidelines for good hygiene practice and for the application of the principles of the HACCP system for the manufacture, treatment and marketing of fishery products. Hamburg 2005, pp. 26–28.
↑ ^a ^b Guidelines for fish, crustaceans and molluscs and their products. New version dated November 27, 2002 (Supplement No. 46 b to the Federal Gazette, March 7, 2003, GMBl.), Pp. 1–5.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Klaus Priebe: Parasites of fish fillets. Appearance - Biology - Food Safety, Springer Verlag, Berlin / Heidelberg 2007, ISBN 978-3-540-72229-8 , pp. 23–33.
↑ ^a ^b Ministry of Women's Health (ed.): Austrian Food Handbook. IVth edition, Codex Chapter B35, Fish - Crayfish - Molluscs and products made from them, Vienna 2007, newly published in 2017 under the reference number BMGF-75210/0026-II / B / 13/2017, pp. 5, 6.
↑ ^a ^b ^c BIS Bremerhaven Society for Investment Promotion and Urban Development (ed.): Appetizer. The Fischereihafen Magazin, 2015 edition, Bremerhafen 2015, p. 11.

Remarks

↑ Parts of the cartilage of the fish skeleton that are at least ten millimeters long or at least one millimeter in diameter are regarded as such so-called fault bones. Bones that are shorter than five millimeters and less than two millimeters thick are not counted. However, these smaller parts must be easy to split with a fingernail. (Source: Bundesverband Fisch (Ed.): Guidelines for good hygiene practice and for the application of the principles of the HACCP system for the manufacture, treatment and marketing of fishery products. )

[Quelle_1-1] Bundesverband Fisch (Ed.): Guidelines for good hygiene practice and for the application of the principles of the HACCP system for the manufacture, treatment and marketing of fishery products. Hamburg 2005, pp. 26–28.

[Quelle_2-2] Guidelines for fish, crustaceans and molluscs and their products. New version dated November 27, 2002 (Supplement No. 46 b to the Federal Gazette, March 7, 2003, GMBl.), Pp. 1–5.

[Quelle_3-3] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Klaus Priebe: Parasites of fish fillets. Appearance - Biology - Food Safety, Springer Verlag, Berlin / Heidelberg 2007, ISBN 978-3-540-72229-8 , pp. 23–33.

[Quelle_4-4] Ministry of Women's Health (ed.): Austrian Food Handbook. IVth edition, Codex Chapter B35, Fish - Crayfish - Molluscs and products made from them, Vienna 2007, newly published in 2017 under the reference number BMGF-75210/0026-II / B / 13/2017, pp. 5, 6.

[Quelle_5-6] BIS Bremerhaven Society for Investment Promotion and Urban Development (ed.): Appetizer. The Fischereihafen Magazin, 2015 edition, Bremerhafen 2015, p. 11.

[Anm._Leitl.-5] Parts of the cartilage of the fish skeleton that are at least ten millimeters long or at least one millimeter in diameter are regarded as such so-called fault bones. Bones that are shorter than five millimeters and less than two millimeters thick are not counted. However, these smaller parts must be easy to split with a fingernail. (Source: Bundesverband Fisch (Ed.): Guidelines for good hygiene practice and for the application of the principles of the HACCP system for the manufacture, treatment and marketing of fishery products. )