S.D. Slider

Relating Instrumental Texture, Determined by Variable-Blade and Allo-Kramer Shear Attachments, to Sensory Analysis of Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, Fillets

UNLABELLED Texture is one of the most important quality attributes of fish fillets, and accurate assessment of variation in this attribute, as affected by storage and handling, is critical in providing consistent quality product. Trout fillets received 4 treatments: 3-d refrigeration (R3), 7-d refrigeration (R7), 3-d refrigeration followed by 30-d frozen storage (R3F30), and 7-d refrigeration followed by 30-d frozen storage (R7F30). Instrumental texture of raw and cooked fillets was determined by 3 approaches: 5-blade Allo-Kramer (AK) and variable-blade (VB) attachment with 12 blades arranged in perpendicular (PER) and parallel (PAR) orientations to muscle fibers. Correlation between instrumental texture and sensory hardness, juiciness, elasticity, fatness, and coarseness was determined. Muscle pH remained constant at 6.54 to 6.64. Raw fillets lost 3.66% of their original weight after 30-d frozen storage. After cooking, weight loss further increased to 15.97%. Moisture content decreased from 69.11 to 65.02%, while fat content remained constant at 10.41%. VBPER detected differences in muscle sample strength (P= 0.0019) and demonstrated effect of shear direction reported as maximum force (g force/g sample). AKPER detected differences in energy of shear (g × mm; P= 0.0001). Fillets that received F30 treatments were less extensible. Cooking increased muscle strength and toughness. Force determined by VBPER was correlated with sensory hardness (r= 0.423, P= 0.0394) and cook loss (r= 0.412, P= 0.0450). VB attachment is accurate, valid, and less destructive in fillet texture analysis. PRACTICAL APPLICATION A new shearing device was validated with sensory analysis. Settings and parameters obtained could be used to define fillet texture quality associated with muscle fiber orientation.

Effect of Sexual Maturation on Thermal Stability, Viscoelastic Properties, and Texture of Female Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, Fillets

UNLABELLED The nutrient and energy demand of sexual maturation in many fish cultivars causes structural change to key contractile proteins and thereby, affects fillet firmness. Thermal denaturation and viscoelastic properties of white muscle from diploid (2N; fertile) and triploid (3N; sterile) female rainbow trout were investigated at 6 age endpoints from July 2008 through spawning in March 2009. Differential scanning calorimetry showed, in March, that the actin denaturation temperature (T(max,actin)) of 2N females was higher than that observed in 3N females (78.17 versus 77.27 °C). From 35 to 45 °C, viscoelastic measurement revealed that muscle from 2N females and younger fish (July, 16 mo) had greater elasticity (lower tan δ) than muscle from 3N females and older fish (November to March; 20 to 24 mo), respectively. The highest elastic response and the firmest fillets were observed in July. Raw fillets were softer (Allo-Kramer shear; P < 0.05) from September to January (288.77 g/g on average) than those collected in July (475.15 g/g) and March (366.79 g/g). Soft fillets became firmer after cooking except for January samples. Greater cook yield and softer fillets were observed in January compared to December. Lipid accumulation in 3N females may lubricate muscle fibers and protect them from losing functionality during the spawning season for animals on a high plane of nutrition. PRACTICAL APPLICATION The relationship between fish maturation, measured as egg development, and chemical characteristics of fillets from fertile and sterile fish was evaluated. Thermal denaturation and viscoelastic characterization revealed changes in stability and gelling properties of muscle proteins that were related to changes in fillet texture.

Effect of Dietary Vitamin E Supplementation and Refrigerated Storage on Quality of Rainbow Trout Fillets

Rainbow trout were fed a low vitamin E (200 mg/kg; LVE) or a high vitamin E (5000 mg/kg; HVE) diet for 9 wk to characterize the effect of vitamin E supplementation at 5000 mg/kg on fillet quality. Fish were sampled at 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 9 wk of the trial. Fillets were stored at 2 °C for 0, 7, and 14 d, and analyzed for pH, psychrotrophic counts, color, cook yield, shear force, crude fat and moisture content, α-tocopherol, fatty acid composition, and lipid oxidation. There was a significant feeding duration by fillet storage time interaction for psychrotrophic counts, crude fat content, cook yield, and shear force. Fillet L* value was not affected by diet, feeding duration or storage time. Fillet a* was lowest at 14-d storage, and b* values increased with fillet storage time. High vitamin E diet increased fillet α-tocopherol from 33 to 155 mg/kg. High vitamin E decreased palmitic acid and increased linoleic acid and omega-6 fatty acids. Feeding through 9 wk increased the relative proportions of unsaturated, polyunsaturated, and omega-3 fatty acids, and decreased saturated and omega-6 fatty acids. At 0-d storage, HVE diet did not affect thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) at any sampling week, and fasted fish generated fewer TBARS compared to non-fasted fish.

Comparison of Variable-Blade to Allo-Kramer Shear Method in Assessing Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Fillet Firmness

UNLABELLED A variable-blade (VB) attachment was compared to the Allo-Kramer (AK) shear attachment for texture analysis of rainbow trout fillets from 2 experiments; effects of attachment configuration, storage regimen, and cooking temperature are evaluated. In the 1st experiment, AK detected differences in force measurement, and VB showed that the perpendicular orientation yielded the highest response (P < 0.05). Fillets refrigerated (4 °C) for 0 d were firmer than fillets stored for 14 d (337.36 compared with 275.90 g/g). Raw fillets were firmer than cooked fillet (333.79 compared with 279.46 g/g). In the 2nd experiment, frozen storage at -25 °C for 30 d after refrigerated storage (R3F30 and R7F30) decreased VB shear force (P = 0.0019) and AK energy of shear (P = 0.0001) by 1.5- and 2-fold compared to those evaluated after refrigerated storage for 3 and 7 d (R3 and R7), respectively. Cooking increased VB and AK texture for all storage regimens (P < 0.05). In both studies, instrumental texture did not correlate with alkaline-insoluble hydroxyproline (P > 0.05). Shear direction affected force generated by the VB attachment, and this attachment could discriminate shear force differences due to cooking and frozen-storage. PRACTICAL APPLICATION Fillet texture was determined by a recently developed device and compared to texture determined by the Allo-Kramer shear attachment; both responses were related to collagen content. The VB attachment defined fillet texture as affected by cooking and storage condition.

Carcass maturity and dicationic salts affect preblended, low-fat, low-sodium restructured beef ☆

Preblending A- and C-maturity muscles with MgCl(2) and/or CaCl(2) was investigated in low-fat, low-sodium restructured beef. Products were formulated to contain: 1) 80% chunks, preblended 12h with 0.05% MgCl(2), 0.05% CaCl(2), or a combination of each (0.1%) and 0.4% sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) and 2) 20% mince preblended 12h with 0.05% of each dicationic salt or the combination of dicationic salts (0.1%), 0.4% STPP, and 1.0% NaCl. This formulation achieved a raw product NaCl content of 0.2%. Additionally, a control was formulated with chunks and mince that contained no dicationic salt. CaCl(2) decreased raw and cooked pH and cook yield, and increased cohesiveness; whereas, MgCl(2) increased cook yield and myosin solubility. Total protein solubility was not affected by muscle maturity or dicationic treatment. Myosin solubility of the combination treatment was greater for C-maturity muscle (57 months) compared to A-maturity muscle (20 months) formulations. Control, C-maturity muscle treatments contained more insoluble and total collagen (p < 0.05), and these treatments were more cohesive (p < 0.05) than control, A-maturity treatments. The combination of CaCl(2) and MgCl(2) increased hardness of A-maturity products, but it decreased hardness of C-maturity products. In addition to increasing hardness of A-maturity products, the combination treatment lowered (p < 0.05) cook yield for these products.

Cryoprotection of Frozen Trout Fillets for Smoked Trout Production

Abstract Fillets were soaked in water, 8% sucrose/sorbitol (S/S) or 1% sodium lactate (SL) with or without 0.5% phosphate and 0.05% MgCl2. After treatment, fillets were frozen stored at -20°C for 90 days. Smoked fillets and gels were subsequently prepared from those frozen fillets. L* and a* values of fillets following treatments with cryoprot-ectants and freezing, were lower than water-soaked fillets. Cryoprotectants (S/S and SL) significantly improved hardness and cohesiveness of gels prepared from frozen fillets, but did not affect the fillet shear force, and they increased smoke-oven yield of fillets compared to untreated and water controls.

Acidified Sodium Chlorite Solution as an Antimicrobial Treatment for Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Fillets

Minimizing microbial growth and maintaining overall quality are priorities for intervention strategies that extend the shelf life of fresh, aquatic foods. Four treatments included a control (fresh fillets), water, 50 ppm of acidified sodium chlorite (ASC), and 1,000 ppm of ASC. Fillets were stored at 1 to 2 degrees C for 0, 8, and 15 days. A significant (P < 0.05) interaction between treatment and storage time was observed for psychrotrophic counts. The increase in psychrotrophic counts with storage time was less for fillets treated with ASC, regardless of ASC concentration. Aerobic plate counts were not affected (P > 0.05) by intervention; however, a significant increase in counts was observed during storage (P < 0.05). Fillet pH, moisture, fat, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, fatty acid composition, color, cook yield, and shear force were not affected (P > 0.05) by intervention. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances decreased (P < 0.05) during storage. Percentages of individual fatty acids were constant, with the exception of C15 and C20:2; they decreased with storage to 15 days. Percent fat, L* (lightness) and b* (yellowness) values, and cook yield increased (P < 0.05) during storage. Fillet pH, moisture, a* (redness) value, and shear force did not change (P > 0.05) with storage to 15 days. Based on these data, 50 ppm of ASC performed equally as well as 1,000 ppm of ASC. The value of ASC is as a decontaminant; however, fillets in this study had low psychrotrophic counts pretreatment (2.3 log CFU/cm2) and posttreatment (2.03 log CFU/cm2), which did not demonstrate ASCs effectiveness as a decontaminant.

Sucrose Penetration and Functionality of Frozen Trout Muscle Affected by Tumbling Conditions

ABSTRACT The effect of tumbling (vacuum pressure: 0, 50, 70 kPa; speed: 7, 14 rpm; time: 30, 60 min) on sucrose penetration into trout muscle was studied when trout chunks were tumbled with 4% (w/w) powdered sucrose. In addition, the cryoprotective action of sucrose in those tumbled muscle was evaluated at -20°C for 24 wk. Sucrose content, expressed as mg/cm2 of exposed area, increased linearly from the center to the periphery of muscle chunks. Vacuum during tumbling and extended tumbling time increased sucrose content of the center portion. Through 24 wk of frozen storage, all tumbling treatments had lower thaw loss and higher gel hardness and cohesiveness than the non-tumbled treatment. Tumbling with 70 kPa vacuum at 7 rpm for 30 min was optimum for sucrose penetration and muscle functionality.