Turid Rustad

Textural Changes During Iced Storage of Salmon (Salmo salar) and Cod (Gadus morhua)

Abstract Textural properties, protein solubility, water holding capacity and activity of collagenolytic enzymes of salmon (Salmo salar) and cod (Gadus morhua) fillets were measured during iced storage. Breaking strength and hardness of fillets were reduced during iced storage. Elasticity of cod fillets was reduced, while cohesiveness of salmon increased during storage. Salmon was softer and less elastic than cod. During storage, total amount of extracted proteins was reduced for cod, and increased followed by a reduction for salmon. The fraction of salt soluble proteins increased during storage, and values for cod were higher than those for salmon. The activity of collagenolytic enzymes was higher in cod than salmon during the whole storage period.

Water and salt distribution in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) studied by low-field 1H NMR, 1H and 23Na MRI and light microscopy: effects of raw material quality and brine salting.

The effect of different Atlantic salmon raw materials (prerigor, postrigor and frozen/thawed) on water mobility and salt uptake after brine salting was investigated by using LF 1H NMR T2 relaxation,1H and 23Na MRI and light microscopy. Distributed exponential analysis of the T2 relaxation data revealed two main water pools in all raw materials, T21 and T22, with relaxation times in the range of 20-100 ms and 100-300 ms, respectively. Raw material differences were reflected in the T2 relaxation data. Light microscopy demonstrated structural differences between unsalted and salted raw materials. For prerigor fillets, salting induced a decrease in T21 population coupled with a more open microstructure compared to unsalted fillets, whereas for frozen/thawed fillets, an increase in T21 population coupled with salt-induced swelling of myofibers was observed. The result implies that the T21 population was directly affected by the density of the muscle myofiber lattice. MR imaging revealed significant differences in salt uptake between raw materials, prerigor salted fillets gained least salt (1.3-1.6% NaCl), whereas the frozen/thawed fillets gained most salt (2.7-2.9% NaCl), and obtained the most even salt distribution due to the more open microstructure. This study demonstrates the advantage of LF NMR T2 relaxation and 1H and 23Na MRI as effective tools for understanding of the relationship between the microstructure of fish muscle, its water mobility and its salt uptake.

Water distribution in brine salted cod (Gadus morhua) and salmon (Salmo salar): a low-field 1H NMR study.

Low-field (LF) (1)H NMR T 2 relaxation measurements were used to study changes in water distribution in lean (Atlantic cod) and fatty (Atlantic salmon) fish during salting in 15% NaCl and 25% NaCl brines. The NMR data were treated by PCA, continuous distribution analysis, and biexponential fitting and compared with physicochemical data. Two main water pools were observed in unsalted fish, T 21, with relaxation times in the range 20-100 ms, and T 22, with relaxation times in the range 100-300 ms. Pronounced changes in T 2 relaxation data were observed during salting, revealing changes in the water properties. Salting in 15% brine lead to a shift toward longer relaxation times, reflecting increased water mobility, whereas, salting in saturated brines had the opposite effect. Water mobility changes were observed earlier in the salting process for cod compared to salmon. Good linear correlations ( F </= 0.05) were found between T 2 parameters and water holding capacity, centrifugation loss, water activity, and salt content in the liquid phase for all fish groups. Fillet pH and total weight changes correlated linearly with T 2 parameters for some of the fish groups.

Contribution of bleeding to total handling stress during slaughter of Atlantic salmon

White muscle high-energy phosphate levels showed that the bleeding procedure applied during slaughter of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) did not overshadow the total pre-slaughter handling stress. The energy status of the muscle seemed to increase as a result of bleeding and the bleeding per se did not have adverse effects on flesh freshness resulting from excessive handling stress. The time for onset of rigor mortis and rigor strength were clearly related to the initial stress level and the rate of ATP depletion. The onset of rigor in stressed fish occurred about one day earlier compared with rested fish and the stressed fish also became stiffer.

Effects of pre-slaughter stress on proteolytic enzyme activities and muscle quality of farmed Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua).

Farmed Atlantic cod were subjected to a combination of stressors in a holding tank before being killed, pre rigor filleted and stored in ice. At slaughter, a higher level of stress was confirmed by blood physiology analyses. This was further associated with significantly reduced muscle pH and somewhat elevated muscle collagenase-like activity in the stressed fish, whereas no differences in cathepsin-like activities were found. After 5 days of iced storage, the stressed fish had significantly lower water holding capacity, reduced hardness and yellowish colour compared to the control group, and no differences in the other parameters investigated. Independent of pre-slaughter stress, the activities of cathepsin B- and B/L-like enzymes increased and activities of cathepsin D/E- and collagenase-like enzymes decreased with storage.

Relationship of Product Structure, Sorption Characteristics, and Freezing Point of Atmospheric Freeze-Dried Foods

Drying is an important unit operation in processing of foods with a long shelf life. The drying process influences product properties and quality; the products may shrink, break, or undergo rheological, physical, and biochemical changes. Important parameters responsible for product quality changes during drying are temperature, relative humidity, and residence time. Studies of thermal and mass transfer properties during drying are essential for understanding the changes in product quality and for designing and dimensionalizing the drying process. Drying kinetics, sorption properties, shrinkage, and freezing point depression were determined during atmospheric freeze drying (AFD) of pieces of apple, turnip cabbage, and cod. Adsorption rate and sorption isotherms were determined in the end product. The drying temperature affected the physical properties. Drying at −5°C resulted in a larger shrinkage than drying at −11°C. GAB modeling was used to characterize the sorption properties of the products. No typical sigmoidal shape was found of the moisture sorption isotherms of the products, which is in accordance with the Guggenheim constant found from the same results. Experimental data on freezing point depression were used to find product constants E and b in the Schwartzberg equation for the freezing point depression. Freezing point depression, as a function of the dry matter content, was determined using Schwartzbergs equation and a component composition model (CCM). The result indicates an influence of structural effects on freezing point depression.

Bitterness in Fish Protein Hydrolysates and Methods for Removal

Abstract Enzymatic hydrolysis is a processing method for recovering protein from under utilized fish biomass and fish by-products. However, the hydrolysis process often creates bitter taste in the product. The bitterness restricts the practical uses of these hydrolysates. The presence of bile in whole fish and fish viscera is shown to cause bitterness in fish protein hydrolysates. The fat and ash content could also cause bitter taste. The content of total amino acids and hydrophobic amino acids did not correlate with bitterness. Three different methods were used to eliminate or reduce bitterness from FPHs after enzymatic hydrolysis with commercial enzymes: (1) treatment with endopeptidases (Flavourzyme(®)), (2) extraction with butanol and (3) treatment with cholestyramine resin. Flavourzyme(®) did not reduce the bitterness. The use of butanol and cholestyramine resin separately or in combination reduced the bitter taste from FPH to levels barely discernible by our sensory panel in 1% concentration.

Comparative studies of the proteolytic activity of tissue extracts from cod (Gadus morhua) and herring (clupea harengus)

Abstract 1. 1. A survey has been made of the proteolytic activities in distinct tissue fractions of herring (Clupea harengus) and cod (Gadus morhua). 2. 2. The proteolytic activity of the intestinal and liver fractions dominated in both fishes. 3. 3. The maximum proteolytic activity appeared in all tissues at pH 3–4.5 at a temperature of 45–60°C. 4. 4. Heat-stable alkaline proteases were detected in herring muscle. Optimal activity was found at pH 8 and a temperature of 62°C. The activity dropped off remarkably at temperatures below 58°C and above 65°C. 5. 5. Remarkably high acidic proteolytic activity was found in cod liver.

NMR approach for monitoring post-mortem changes in Atlantic salmon fillets stored at 0 and 4°C.

High resolution NMR technique has been used to monitor post-mortem changes in salmon (Salmo salar) fillets upon storage at 4 and 0°C. Thirty-one different fish metabolites influencing freshness and taste properties have been unequivocally assigned by NMR using either available standard compounds or ad hoc acquired 2D (1)H-(1)H TOCSY and (1)H-(13)С HSQC spectra. The monitored fish metabolites include amino acids, dipeptides, sugars, vitamins, biogenic amines, as well as different products of the ATP degradation. The detection and monitoring of biogenic amines by NMR, upon fish storage, is information of interest for consumers, since some of these compounds are toxic. The data from this study shows that NMR spectroscopy also provides the amount of all metabolites necessary for the calculation of the K-index used to express fish freshness. A good correlation was found between the K-index increase and the formation of the undesired biogenic amines. The metabolite concentrations and the K-index found in this work were compared and found coherent with literature data. The performed study reveals the strengths and the suitability of the NMR approach to monitor different biochemical processes occurring during fish storage and qualitatively and quantitatively characterise fish metabolites determining fish quality.

Rested and Stressed Farmed Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) Chilled in Ice or Slurry and Effects on Quality

The main objectives of this study were to investigate (1) whether rested harvest of farmed cod was better maintained by chilling with slurry rather than by traditional ice storage, (2) whether chilling with slurry would be a feasible chilling method to assure low core temperatures (≤0 °C) at packing of gutted fish, and (3) the effects of superchilling compared with traditional ice on selected quality parameters of cod during storage. In the experiment, seawater slurry at -2.0 ± 0.3 °C was used. Anesthetized (AQUI-S™), percussion stunned, and stressed cod chilled in slurry were compared. Cod stored on ice were used as reference group. The fish were evaluated at the day of slaughter, and after 7 and 14 d of storage according to handling stress (initial muscle pH, muscle twitches, rigor mortis), core temperatures, quality index method, microbial counts, weight changes, salt and water content, water distribution, pH, adenosine triphosphate-degradation products, K-value, water-holding capacity, fillet color, and texture. Chilling cod in slurry was more rapid than chilling in ice. Prechilling (1 d) of cod in slurry before subsequent ice storage resulted in lower quality 7 d postmortem compared with both ice and continuous slurry storage. The potential advantages of superchilling became more prominent after 14 d with lower microbiological activity, better maintenance of freshness (lower total quality index scores and lower K-values) compared with fish stored on ice. A drawback with slurry-stored fish was that cloudy eyes developed earlier, in addition to weight gain and salt uptake compared to ice-stored fish. Practical Application: Chilling is an essential operation in any fish-processing plant. This manuscript addresses different applications of slurry ice in the processing and storage of Atlantic cod. Cod quality was assessed after 7 and 14 d of iced and superchilled storage.