Microstructure and texture of fresh and smoked Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., fillets from fish reared and slaughtered under different conditions

• Published in: Aquaculture research Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 1 - 10
• Main Authors: Sigurgisladottir, Sjofn, Sigurdardottir, Margret S., Ingvarsdottir, Helga, Torrissen, Ole J., Hafsteinsson, Hannes
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science Ltd 01-01-2001
• ISSN: 1355-557X; 1365-2109
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2109.2001.00503.x

This study was carried out to examine differences in microstructure and texture of fresh and smoked farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. fillets with different biological characteristics. The left fillet was analysed fresh and compared with the salted and smoked right fillet from each individual fish. Light microscopy and image analysing techniques were used to study both transversal and longitudinal sections of the muscle. The fish muscle fibres shrank during the salting and smoking process, but sarcomere length did not change. After smoking, a considerable number of fat globules were dispersed among the muscle fibres. The biological characteristics studied were based upon diploid and triploid fish held in both sea cages and land‐based tanks. Different starvation times were used and one group was stressed during slaughter. The cross‐sectional area of muscle fibres from triploid fish was found to be larger than from diploid fish, both in fresh and smoked fillets.