AOAC Official Method 937.07 Fish and Marine Products Treatment and Preparation of Sample
Procedure
First Action 1937
Final Action 1996
To prevent loss of H2O during preparation and subsequent handling, use test portions as large as practicable. Keep ground material in container with air-tight cover. Begin all determinations as soon as practicable. If any delay occurs, chill test portions to inhibit decomposition. In general, prepare test portion of fish as it is usually prepared by consumer, by including skin and discarding bones, but subject to overall rule of edibility, e.g., inedible catfish skin is discarded; softened canned salmon bones are included; sardines are examined whole. Instructions may be modified in accordance with purpose of specific examination. Prepare test portion for analysis as follows:
(a) Fresh fish.—Clean, scale, and eviscerate fish. In case of small fish 6 in. (£15 cm), use 5–10 fish. In case of large fish, from each of ³3 fish cut 3 cross-sectional slices 1 in. (2.5 cm) thick, 1 slice from just back of pectoral fins, 1 slice halfway between first slice and vent, and 1 slice just back of vent. Remove bone. For intermediate- size fish, remove and discard heads, scales, tails, fins, guts, and inedible bones; fillet fish to obtain all flesh and skin from head to tail and from top of back to belly on both sides. For determination of fat and fat-soluble components, skin must be included,
