Fish Freshness Meter (Torrymeter)

Distell's Fish Freshness Meter (Torrymeter) has an accuracy of +/- 1 day on an un-irradiated, unfrozen or thawed fish. Many factors go into the accuracy such as fish species and how the fish is handled, but more or less +/- 1 day.

You can determine if the fish has been previously frozen right away.

It was developed to measure relative freshness of wet fish, whole fish and fillets such as: Cod, Whiting, Herring, Mackerel, Tilapia and many others. The meter can measure freshness of most fish species caught and processed around the world.

The meters are used in various applications for many years:
- estimate the freshness and quality of fish
- grade fish according to European & International Standards (E-A-B)
- determine if a fish has been frozen or irradiated
- estimate shelf life in markets and stores
- check the age of fish during fishing and angling competitions

A very low power 2 KHz sine wave signal is sent to one electrode sensor to the other. The signal is then picked up at other electrode and the device measures the difference. The results is processed and provides the Freshness Scale,

Yes and this is one of the big advantages of using Distell's Fish Freshness Meter (Torrymeter). It's a NON-DESTRUCTIVE measurement, meaning you can measure the fish many times without affecting the quality of the fish.

Yes it can. Distell's Fish Freshness Meter (Torrymter) are designed for non-invasive and non-destructive, meaning it does not harm to the fish.

You can use it on live fish and also to sell the fish after making measurements.

No it can not. The fish must to properly defrosted or thawed in order for Distell's Fish Freshness Meter (Torrymeter) to properly measure the fish freshness.

For Distell's Fish Freshness Meter (Torrymeter), the minimum fish body size (not including the head or tail) is 2 inches (50 mm).

For fish thickness, the body (torso) is 0.4 inch (10 mm) to measure the fish freshness accurately.

You are free to conduct a normal laboratory test anytime, however Distell's Fish Freshness Meter (Torrymeter) is designed to allow many measurements to be taken to routinely to test the fish product. Occasional laboratory tests can be conducted to confirm the results of Distell's Fish Freshness Meter (Torrymeter) readings. If you find any discrepancies, please contact us to have the meter calibrated.

When you know that the measurements made by Distell's Fish Freshness Meter (Torrymeter) are going to be compared to some form of laboratory analysis, always make sure that rigorous preparation procedure if followed. Otherwise, you may get a different result from the laboratory and this will create confusion and doubt.

Preparation instructions are clearly described in Distell's Fish Freshness Meter (Torrymeter) Handbook, but to make sure there is no doubt, a brief description and instructions are below:

Place the sensor head fully in contact with the sample (fish) being careful to exclude any air cavities. Press and hold the ‘READ’ button until the reading has been taken and is displayed on screen.
It"s important to be consistent by placing the sensor in the same location each time. This will ensure consistent and comparable results day-to-day and month-to-month. It is normal for Distell's Fish Freshness Meter (Torrymeter) to give a different value at different measurement sites on the same fish.

Different parts of the fish will spoil at different rates due to the bacteria levels, fat content, muscle structure and cell disruption within the fish.

Within the overall measurement limits of 0C to 10°C (32F to 50F) and provided that the fsh or fish fillets being measured with Distell's Fish Freshness Meter (Torrymeter) contains no ice crystals, temperature should have no significant effect.

Where the fish or fish fillets have been previously frozen or contain ice crystals, Distell's Fish Freshness Meter (Torrymeter) will display a very low value (normally between 1 and 4). This is because the act of freezing the fish disrupts its cell structure which affects the capacitance and conductivity within its flesh, similarly to the cellular breakdown caused by bacteriological activity. This low value displayed by the meter infers that the change in conductivity is spoilage.

If the fish has been previously frozen, it may look fresh and in high quality, not spoiled or smelly. However, using Distell's Fish Freshness Meter (Torrymter) serves as a useful quality check for fish buyers as the shelf life of previously frozen fish is significantly lower than that of fish which have been stored properly at or slightly above 0° C since being caught.

We have found that fish and fish fillets down to –2°C (28F) normally do not contain ice crystals and can be measured as normal. We've also found that fish or fish fillets stored at or above 10°C (50F) can suffer moisture loss and create a variance from the natural fish state.

For consistent accurate results, operator should make sure that fish or fish fillets are measured at the same ambient temperature on a daily basis within a temperature range of 0 – 10°C (32F to 50F).

Distell's Fish Freshness Meter (Torrymeter) can not measure the following:
- Fish that is frozen, it must be thawed or defrosted
- Irradiated
- Cooked
- Stored in salt water
- Fish with thick-skin
- Fish skin has dried out

Under normal use, with full battery charged, it will last 8 hours. The time to fully recharge the device from empty is about 12 to 15 hours.

Yes. All Distell's meters are waterproof and certified to IP65 standards. This means you can use it in wet conditions in the field study on lakes, oceans and wet markets.

Under normal use frequency, we would recommend to have the meters re-calibrated every 12 months.
If you're using the device and measuring hundreds of times a day, we recommend 3 or 3 months.

Everytime we receive the device for re-calibration, we thoroughly clean, make software updates and we can recommend other fixes if needed.

You can use the free download cable included in the kit to transfer the measured results from the device to your PC.

Once all the data has been transferred to your PC, you can use Distell's free Software Data Management system to manage all the data.

Yes. All Distell's meters meet the HACCAP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) standards and comply with IP65 standards which means it can be used in wet conditions.