Sensory quality of Atlantic salmon as affected of fish size and fillet part

• Main Author: Lu, Xi
• Other Authors: Mørkøre, Turid
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås 2017
• Subjects: NQC; Consumer preferences; Atlantic salmon
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2459257

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of body weight and fillet parts on sensory quality of raw and cooled salmon fillets and consumer preference of cooked salmon fillets. Three groups of salmon with the average body weight of 3991 ± 61g, 5005 ± 54g and 6013 ± 68g respectively were filleted. Fillet colour, gaping, pigment, fat content and texture were analyzed in the raw fillets after 6 days of ice storage. A consumer sensory test was carried out to evaluate the acceptability of colour, odour, flavour, firmness and juiciness of cooked fillets after 5 months of storage at -40°C. No significant differences in the fillet colour, pigment content or gaping were observed between the 4kg, 5kg and 6kg salmon. The result also showed that the loin fillet (anterior dorsal section) contained significantly thicker and firmer muscle compared to the NQC parts (dorsal section between dorsal fin and gut). Sensory analyses of cooked fillets revealed significant higher preference for flavour and juiciness of the 5kg and 6kg salmon compared to the 4kg salmon. Also a tendency to preferred colour, firmness and juiciness were observed for salmon loin fillet part compared with the NQC part. The sensory parameters of all three groups of salmon were well acceptable. The odour, flavour, firmness and juiciness correlated significantly to the overall preference while the colour of the cooked fillets had no effect on the overall preference. To conclude, sensory quality differences were observed for both raw and cooked fillets among the three size classes of salmon and among two parts of the same fillets. M-AA