GNBS develops Guyana Standard specifications for salt fish, dried salt fish

Salt fish, or salted fish, is a widely consumed dish in Guyana’s culinary traditions. To guide its production and ensure quality, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has developed the Guyana Standard – GYS 53:2016 – specification for salted fish and dried salted fish.
According to the GNBS, adapted from the CODEX STAN 167:1989, this National Standard sets out requirements for salted and dried salted fish produced for retail and distribution for human consumption. It ensures that – whether it’s added to your cook-up rice, or when making a simple sautéed dish – the salted fish you buy and use is safe, properly processed, and fit for your family’s table, the GNBS noted.
The GYS Standard applies to fish that is fully saturated with salt (heavily salted) and fish preserved by partial saturation, with a salt content not less than 12 per cent by weight, fit for consumption without further industrial processing.
Salted fish may be produced through brining, brine injection, dry-salting, pickling, or wet-salting, and can be made from a variety of species including shark, snapper, mackerel, and catfish. Drying may be natural (open air), artificial (mechanically circulated air), or a combination of both.

Processing standards
To ensure a safe and high-quality product, the standard requires that fish be wholesome and fit for human consumption. Importantly, the standard considers salted fish defective if it contains foreign matter like wood chips or bird droppings, has an objectionable odour, develops halophilic mould, or shows signs of pink/reddening, textural breakdown, bruising, or burning. Such defects can affect taste, safety, and consumer preference.
Additionally, the salt used in production must be clean, uncontaminated, and free of dirt, oil, or foreign matter, and food-grade packaging materials must be used, with labels in English stating the product name (“salted fish” or “dried salted fish”), lot identification, and manufacturer’s details. The standard also outlines hygiene, handling, storage, and transport requirements to protect the product throughout the supply chain. Sampling and analysis procedures, outlined in the standard, help determine factors such as net weight, salt content, moisture levels, toxic heavy metals, and overall quality.
Producers of salted fish are encouraged to acquire a copy of this standard and conform to its requirements which ensure a quality product for the consumer and a competitive advantage of their businesses in both local and export markets.
The GNBS, operating under the Ministry of Tourism Industry and Commerce, is a semi-autonomous governmental organisation responsible for Standards and Quality in Guyana.
The only National Standards Body in Guyana, its mission is to develop and implement the National Quality Infrastructure in partnership with key stakeholders, towards sustainable socioeconomic development and consumer protection.
It is also an ISO 9001:2015 certified and ISO/IEC 17025 accredited agency.
Its core services are calibration and testing; certification (Made in Guyana, Product, Laboratories & Auditing); product inspection; standards development; training and technical assistance, and verification. The GNBS lists its role as supporting trade and enhancing business competitiveness through standards; facilitating business growth and development – standards are implemented to help industry enhance its efficiency and the quality of products offered for sale – while supporting the establishment of a National Quality Infrastructure: key services such as verification, calibration, testing and certification are offered to the National Framework to ensure quality products and services. It also protects consumers, as standards are enforced to protect consumers from poor quality products and services.
For more information, contact GNBS at 219-0062/65, WhatsApp 692-4627, or visit www.gnbsgy.org.