Fish Ratings – Paris – 26 Apr 2021: Fish Ratings has lowered the rating on frozen Filets de Merlan Panure Croustillante (frozen whiting filets in crispy breadcrumbs) to ‘B-’ from ‘B’ due to the premature withdrawal of a batch from the oven.
The issuer of the delicately flaky yet also conveniently oven-ready fish blamed “supermarket conditions” for the recall, though this could not be independently verified and other frozen fish have recently been issued, baked and digested by the market without great difficulty.
Filets de Merlan Panure Croustillante benefit from a light, crunchy coating of fried breadcrumbs, which, combined with the soft, white flesh and subtle flavour of the filets, results in metrics that are in line with a strong ‘BB’ rating.
However, these attributes are counterbalanced by poor the structural protection offered by the thin cardboard packaging as well as the fish’s loose contractual framework, which generates uncertainty around its long-term ownership and ingredients.
Usually, when frozen fish placed in the oven are only half-baked, this can be remedied by turning up the heat by 25° and putting them back in until they are done. In this case, however, the issuer decided to withdraw the filets from the oven altogether.
The issuer could put the fish back in the oven at a later date, but the consequence of interrupting the cooking process halfway through could result in indigestion.
Fish Ratings 