Matjes is a popular fish delicacy. However, in addition to the original, there are also cheap exchange options. However, they are often not declared accordingly. What consumers can look out for.
Essen (dpa / tmn) - The real Matjes has a red-brown discoloration line along the middle ridges. The lack of replacement or replacement products, explains the State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection North Rhine-Westphalia (LANUV). Sampling had shown that real matjes were often not offered in restaurants and snack bars. However, if this is not declared accordingly, there is misleading or consumer deception.
Exchange or replacement products are, for example, Matje's Nordic, Swedish or Frisian type. They are produced more cheaply. Older pegs and dyes are often used to make the fillet pink to whitish-brown. The ripening is only faked with the help of preservatives and flavor enhancers.
The real matjes, on the other hand, is elaborately manufactured. The young animals can only be caught in a few weeks in early summer. Certain tissue components remain in the fish during production and cause maturation through protein breakdown. The herrings are then salted and stored. Now the typical discoloration line is formed that only the real Matjes has.
LANUV information on Matjes