Salmon roe technologies. Food additives (preservatives) Varex-1 and Varex-2

Salmon roe is an affordable delicacy and the attribute of a true holiday. Demand for it is high all year round. To save the red caviar harvested in summer fishing season from spoiling the feast for those who buy it a few months later, the manufacturers require a complex assistance in preserving the high quality of caviar. So, the complex food additives Varex-1 and Varex-2 are used by those who want to securely store the product until the next fishing season.

The advantages of Varex-1 and Varex-2 application for salmon (red) roe production

Perform a complex effect: effectively slow down the processes of spoilage and the appearance of undesirable after-tastes (of oxidized fat, bitterness, etc.), ensure the microbiological safety of salmon caviar.

Preserve the natural flavor and inimitable bouquet of fresh salmon caviar throughout the shelf life and make it possible to reduce consumption of salt (sodium chloride mass fraction in the finished product ranges from 3.0%).

Safe for health, because do not contain hazardous ingredients (urotropine, sodium benzoate (E211), parabens, antibiotics, etc.).

Provide the ability to store caviar at a positive temperature. This fact plays an important role when retailers choose their suppliers, because not many refridge units are designed for a small negative temperature (0° to -6°C), and disturbance of temperature regime during storage and transportation significantly reduces the gustatory quality of salmon caviar. Varex provides the "safety margin" at temperatures up to +4°C.

Easy-to-use and do not require changing the traditional technological process of salmon roe manufacturing.

Red roe with Varex-1 and Varex-2 can be exported.

Red roe with Varex-2 is produced according to Interstate standard (GOST) for roe.

The content of Varex-1 and Varex-2 is regulated by sorbic acid. Residual content of sorbic acid in salmon caviar produced with our food additives is not more than 0.2%.

Interstate standard GOST 31794-2012

June, 1-st, 2013 the Interstate Standard GOST 31794-2012 "Grained salmon caviar. Specifications" was put in force as a substitution for GOST R 52336-2005.

According to Interstate standard GOST 31794-2012, safe complex food additive Varex-2 is used in salmon roe manufacturing process. The 3-th and 4-th grade of maturity skeins of Far Eastern salmon fish species are used as the raw material.

Open comparative description of three current standards for salmon roe: GOST 31794-2012, GOST 18173-2004 and GOST 1629-2015.

These are some important advantages of GOST 31794-2012 over GOST 18173-2004 and GOST 1629-2015:

Roe with Varex-2 is packed in various packaging: jars and tins, wooden barrels, plastic containers and buckets. Repacking of salmon caviar from barrels, plastic containers and buckets into jars and tins is permitted throughout the shelf life.

Roe with Varex-2 is stored for 12 months at +2°...+4°С  consumer package in retail chain; for 8 months (from the manufacture date) at -4°..-6°С in barrels, plastic containers, buckets and wooden barrels.

Salt content in roe with Varex-2 can be reduced.

Buy 200 kg of food additive Varex-2 and get technological instruction (TI) for salmon roe interstate standard GOST 31794-2012 for free. TI contains the description of technological process (how to make salmon (red) roe).

Specifications (TU) "Grained salmon roe"

Since fish processors also use the 2-nd grade of maturity skeins (underripe, so-called "fat" or "sea" roe) and frozen skeins extracted from Far East salmon for caviar production, we have also developed technologies designed for the use of these types of roe and combined them in the Specifications (TU) "Grained salmon roe".

These Specifications also apply to the roe of Oncorhyncus, Salvelinus and Salmo genera (in particular, trout), including farmed salmon roe. Food additive (preservative) Varex-2 is used in trout roe technology, too.

The shelf life and storage temperature of finished product coincide with those in the GOST 31794-2012 "Salmon caviar. Specifications". As well as according to GOST, it is permitted to repack caviar from barrels, plastic containers and buckets into tins and jars throughout the shelf life. According to our Specifications, Varex-1 is used for unripe roe processing, and Varex-2 is used for frozen skeins of Oncorhyncus, Salvelinus and Salmo genera fish processing.

Technical documents for salmon roe production (in Russian)

• Interstate standard GOST 31794-2012 "Grained salmon caviar. Specifications"
• Interstate standard GOST 18173-2004 "Grained salmon caviar packed in cans. Specifications"
• Interstate standard GOST 1629-2015 "Grainular salmon roe in transport packing. Specifications"
• Comparative description of three current standards for salmon roe: GOST 31794-2012, GOST 18173-2004 and GOST 1629-2015.

Further reading

You can learn more about our technologies for salmon roe and food additives Varex-1 and Varex-2 in the following papers and articles:

• Red roe – recover the past glory
• Salmon roe: new interstate standard (GOST) and well-known technologies
• Refutation of V. V. Vorobiev papers on the influence of preservatives to the safety of salmon roe and public health
• On the modern technologies for salmon caviar production
• Salmon caviar. New technologies: to be or not to be?
• On salmon roe production and substitution for urotropine
• Nine grams is normal, wait a moment, hang on!
• On the problems of quality and safety of salmon roe
• Studies on the effect of Varex series food additives on the quality of salmon caviar
• Klondike for fish-processors

Download a booklet (pdf; 0, 20 MB)

With the ability to store product at positive temperature, extend its shelf life and maintain high quality, your salmon caviar becomes high-demanded by caviar retailers and consumers and can be delivered to new markets abroad.

Using our food additives, you ensure consistent quality of roe during shelf life, and also preserve the useful properties of the product that customers appreciate.