I. Introduction
Sodium tripolyphosphate is allowed to be used as a water retention agent for aquatic products in many countries because it can keep aquatic products fresh, reduce water loss during processing and cooking, and make the meat more juicy, thus improving the taste. In general, the dosage of sodium tripolyphosphate in aquatic products is usually 1g to 2g per kilogram of fish. This rate is based on its water retention properties and food safety standards, and is intended to improve the taste and quality of aquatic products while ensuring consumer health ( to learn the risk detail please click “Is sodium tripolyphosphate safe“).
Of course, as with most chemicals, excessive and prolonged intake of sodium tripolyphosphate can have some negative effects on the human body. If you love aquatic products and consume them regularly, or if you have weak kidneys, it is necessary to remove the water retention agent from aquatic products before consuming them.
II. Reasons for the use of water retention agents for aquatic products
Fish will certainly not be fresh for long distance transportation, so the vendor is basically frozen fish fillets. One characteristic of aquatic products is that after freezing, their surface is prone to air-drying and loss of moisture, so it does not look fresh and will be eliminated from the market. In order to solve this problem is using water retention agent, which is to retain water, improve the taste, antioxidant. The main ingredient of water retention agent is sodium tripolyphosphate, which is the reason why frozen fish has an alkaline flavor.
III. Intentions of removing sodium tripolyphosphate
Sodium tripolyphosphate is a chemically synthesized food additive that may be harmful to the human body especially to the liver and kidneys when englobe for a long period of time.
IV. Methods of removing sodium tripolyphosphate
a. Sodium tripolyphosphate location
Sodium tripolyphosphate is mainly applied in aquatic preservation by two ways: dipping method and spraying method. One is to soak aquatic products in a prepared sodium tripolyphosphate solution for a period of time. The other is to spray the sodium tripolyphosphate solution evenly onto the surface of aquatic products. It can be seen that the sodium tripolyphosphate water retention agent is covering the surface of aquatic products.
b. Removal Principle
Sodium tripolyphosphate is easily soluble in water and stable at room temperature, but it may decompose under high temperature and acidic conditions. Therefore, we can remove sodium tripolyphosphate from fish by this property.
c. Specific method
- Soak and rinse: Bought frozen fish usually comes with ice, so you can soak it in water before serving. During the period, you need to change the water 2-3 times, soaking for more than half an hour each time.
- Wash with warm water and vinegar: If you don’t have enough time, you can use a mixture of warm water and vinegar to wash the fish. Usually put the fish into warm water and add a few drops of vinegar to the water to accelerate the dissolution of sodium tripolyphosphate. After washing, change the water and repeat the above steps. Usually after 2-3 water changes, the sodium tripolyphosphate can be washed off.
- Rinse with running water: Rinse the fish with running water for about 5 minutes. This can effectively remove most of the sodium tripolyphosphate, and hotels usually adopt this method to treat aquatic products.
- Treat with high temperature water: If you are still worried that sodium tripolyphosphate has not been removed cleanly, then you can chop or slice the fish, put it into boiling water, and then get it out from water after a few seconds. By this way, you can eliminate the sodium tripolyphosphate that has not been washed completely clean. This is to utilize the principle that sodium tripolyphosphate can be decomposed quickly at high temperature.
V. Conclusion
The use of sodium tripolyphosphate as a water retention agent for aquatic products is to avoid the loss of nutritional and commercial value of aquatic products, i.e. it is a result of market selection. However, since excessive intake of sodium tripolyphosphate over a long period of time can aggravate the kidneys, it is necessary to learn how to remove sodium tripolyphosphate using the above methods if you are a fish lover. Fortunately, these methods are so easy and safe that they can be done right in your home kitchen.
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