Interactions between ice storage time, collagen composition, gaping and textural properties in farmed salmon muscle harvested at different times of the year

• Published in: Aquaculture Vol. 240; no. 1; pp. 489 - 504
• Main Authors: Espe, Marit, Ruohonen, Kari, Bjørnevik, Marit, Frøyland, Livar, Nortvedt, Ragnar, Kiessling, Anders
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 27-10-2004; Elsevier Science; Elsevier Sequoia S.A
• Subjects: anadromous fish; Anatomy & physiology; Animal aquaculture; Animal productions; Aquaculture; Atlantic salmon; Biological and medical sciences; cold storage; Collagen; Colour; duration; fish culture; fish farms; fish fillets; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gaping score; General aspects; harvest date; Ice storage; Meat quality; muscle tissues; oxidation; protein degradation; Salmo salar; Salmon; Seasonal variation; Storage; Texture; Ice storage; Seasonal variation; Salmo salar; Collagen; Atlantic salmon; Texture; Meat quality; Gaping score; Colour; Composition; Farming animal; Color; Ice; Meat; Vertebrata; Storage; Pisces; Muscle; Aquaculture
• ISSN: 0044-8486; 1873-5622
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2004.04.023

Atlantic salmon were sampled in June, September and February of the consecutive year and were stored on ice for up to 14 days in order to test the effect of harvest time and subsequent ice storage on meat quality. Texture and gaping frequency were analysed and were related to colour, protein degradation, collagen solubility, collagen types and final pH as well as lipid oxidation in the fillets to test possible interactions between harvest time and quality degradation during storage. In February, the connective tissue contained more soluble collagen and less insoluble collagen, as well as more of both types I and V collagen, than in the samples collected in June. During ice storage, fish became softer with a concomitant increase in the number of fish displaying very high gaping. pH increased during ice storage and fillet colour became lighter and redder, while yellowness changed in the fattier fillets upon ice storage. Ice storage resulted in changes in pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC) depending on harvest time as did both types I and V collagen. The softer the fish, the higher the gaping score and the more insoluble collagen, the less gaping occurred.