Quality Aspects of Commercial Frozen Minced Fish Blocks.

Area of Science:

• Seafood Science
• Food Quality Assessment
• Fish Processing

Background:

• Consumer preference for fish products is influenced by sensory attributes like flavor and texture.
• Alaska pollock is a widely consumed fish, often processed into minced blocks.
• Variations in processing and origin can affect the quality of minced fish products.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the sensory and objective quality attributes of imported frozen minced Alaska pollock blocks with those from North Atlantic fish.
• To evaluate the impact of cooking methods (baking vs. frying) on the organoleptic properties of minced fish.
• To assess the correlation between objective quality measurements and sensory panel evaluations.

Main Methods:

• Sensory evaluation using organoleptic scoring by a trained panel.
• Objective quality assessments including thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value, trimethylamine (TMA) content, dimethylamine (DMA) content, and aerobic plate count (APC).
• Comparative analysis of minced fish blocks prepared from Alaska pollock and selected North Atlantic species, subjected to baking and frying.

Main Results:

• Imported frozen minced Alaska pollock exhibited inferior flavor and texture compared to minced blocks from certain North Atlantic species.
• Organoleptic scores were significantly affected by the cooking method, with baked and fried preparations yielding different quality perceptions.
• Objective quality tests (TBA, TMA, DMA, APC) generally showed a weak correlation with the sensory scores obtained from the organoleptic assessments.

Conclusions:

• The origin and processing of minced fish significantly impact its sensory quality, with Alaska pollock being less desirable than some North Atlantic alternatives.
• Cooking method is a critical factor influencing the perceived quality of minced fish products.
• Objective chemical and microbiological tests may not fully capture the nuances of sensory quality in minced fish, highlighting the importance of sensory analysis in quality control.