Quality changes of salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) muscle during thermal processing

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Thermal Processing
• Seafood Quality

Background:

• Salmon fillet quality is crucial for consumer acceptance.
• Thermal sterilization is a common method for preserving seafood.
• Understanding quality changes during processing is essential for optimizing methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate quality changes in salmon fillet muscle during thermal sterilization.
• To examine variations in quality along the longitudinal axis of salmon fillets.
• To correlate processing time and temperature with specific quality attributes.

Main Methods:

• Salmon fillet samples were heated in an oil bath at 121.1°C for 5–120 minutes.
• Quality properties including shear force, color, cook loss, and shrinkage were measured.
• A multi-blade texture device and computer vision system were utilized for precise measurements.

Main Results:

• Red muscle became less firm than white muscle after heating.
• Central dorsal muscle exhibited lower cook loss and shrinkage compared to anterior/posterior regions.
• The most significant quality changes occurred within the first 10 minutes of heating.

Conclusions:

• Thermal sterilization significantly impacts salmon fillet quality, particularly within the initial 10 minutes.
• Processing time influences shear force, with peaks observed at 5 and 60 minutes.
• Location within the fillet affects cook loss and shrinkage during thermal processing.