Can you eat fish with Rigor mortis

In this brief guide, we will address the query, “can you eat fish with Rigor mortis?” We will also discuss what Rigor mortis is and how it can affect fish, and of course, what effects can cause the consumption of fish with Rigor mortis.

Can you eat fish with Rigor mortis?

Yes, you can eat. When Rigor mortis occurs, the fish muscles will contract and then will become tough to eat; it has been reported that fish may lose its nutritional value. 

Your health may not be affected when consuming fish with Rigor mortis, but I assure you it will not be a pleasant experience you want to try again!

What is Rigor mortis?

Rigor mortis is a postmortem chemical change that causes stiffening of the body’s muscles and joints. This condition is caused by muscle contraction due to the loss of ATP. This postmortem state will last until all muscle fibers are contracted, which can be quicker with heat application.

The time from death to Rigor mortis may be different for all fish species, but it is said that about three hours after fish death, then the corpse will go into Rigor mortis. 

What are the effects of Rigor mortis?

During this chemical process, the body of the fish loses its initial softness to become stiff due to muscle contraction. Imagine eating a stiff fish, not tasty or enjoyable at all!

This phenomenon is associated with different effects on fish production and taste, such as:

  • Broken filets may be one of the most common effects of Rigor mortis. It gives a rough appearance to fish as it causes the fish muscles to break out. This happens after the full contraction of fish muscles because the link between the tissues is dramatically reduced, causing breakage in some parts of the fish.
  • High rigidity, as said before, when Rigor mortis occurs, the fish becomes stiff, a property that can be exhibited during and after having cooked the fish. And even more when eating it, just imagine a hard and greedy sensation!
  • Loss of nutrients, whenever a stiff fish is being cooked is only natural to try to cook it to lose some of the hardness, so this will lead to overcooked fish that have lost some of their nutritional value.

Can all species develop Rigor mortis?

Yes, at least all of them have muscles. As discussed above, after death, all the body muscles enter an estate of contracture, the so-called Rigor mortis. This is due to the loss of ATP, which is fundamental for the relaxation of muscles. 

After a few hours, or days, the muscle proteins will be then consumed, which will cause the loss of that rigidity. This mechanism can be accelerated if high temperatures are being used. 

How can Rigor mortis be avoided?

Most people do not want to consume rigid fish, and the effects of Rigor mortis can be avoided. Some of the methods to achieve this are:

  • Keeping the fish at low temperatures, as temperature plays a major role in Rigor mortis occurrence, if we provide fish with low temperatures, Rigor mortis effects are less likely to occur.
  • Cook the fish before Rigor mortis, as this phenomenon takes place after some hours after the fish dies, you can cook your fish before it and you can avoid those unwanted effects. But it is nearly impossible to achieve this unless you collect your fish from water bodies.
  • Wait until Rigor mortis is gone, this postmortem state does not last forever, it is only exhibited for some days, and then it is dissipated. After that, fish muscles will once again become soft and enjoyable! The waiting time may be different for each species.

If you want further guidance on this subject, please click here.

How quickly should fish be processed?

Processing fish before or after rigor mortis may have some effects on the quality of our final product. So, depending on the product that is aimed to be obtained, the answer to this question may vary.

In the fishing industry, a longer pre-rigor Mortis period is highly desired, as it allows more flexible processing.

What is our recommendation?

Consuming fish with Rigor mortis does not have any prejudicial effects, but it does affect the texture of the meat. In general, it is not desirable to eat any rigid food, it just does not feel right!

So, if you are willing to ignore that rigidity, you are safe to do it.

Other FAQs about Fish that you may be interested in.

Can you eat grouper when pregnant?

Can you eat Koi fish?

Can you eat jellyfish?

Conclusión

In this brief guide, we have addressed the query, “can you eat fish with rigor mortis?” We have also discussed other queries related to the subject at hand, like the effects that can have on human health. 

Hope you found this blog useful. If you have any questions, please let us know.

Citations

https://nofima.com/worth-knowing/how-quickly-should-fish-be-processed/

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-05-13-fo-34495-story.html#:~:text=A%20fish%20that%20is%20killed,it%20goes%20into%20rigor%20mortis.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/rigor-mortis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7054564/#:~:text=Rigor%20mortis%20is%20a%20phenomenon,while%20before%20it%20is%20resolved.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!