Quality changes of salmon by-products during storage: Assessment and quantification by NMR

Safe utilization of fish by-products is an important task due to increasing fish consumption. It can provide new valuable food/feed and will increase the economical profit and sustainability of the fishery industry. NMR spectroscopy is a reliable tool able to monitor qualitative and quantitative changes in by-products. In this work the trichloroacetic acid extracts of salmon backbones, heads and viscera stored at industrially relevant temperatures (4 and 10°C) were studied using NMR. Twenty-five metabolites were detected and the possibility of salmon by-products utilization as a source of anserine, phosphocreatine and taurine was discussed. Statistical data elaboration allowed determining the main processes occurring during by-products storage: formation of trimethylamine and biogenic amines, proteolysis and different types of fermentations. By-products freshness was evaluated using a multi-parameter approach: the trimethylamine and biogenic amines concentration changes were compared with Ki and H-values and safe temperatures and times for storage of salmon by-products were proposed.