Sensory and Chemical Changes in Farmed Atlantic Salmon (<i>Salmo </i><i>s</i><i>alar</i>) during Frozen Storage

Abstract

Farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were stored as fillets at −10 and −20 °C and whole at −30 °C. The most pronounced sensory changes were first recognized by the assessors, when the salmon samples were in the oral cavity, and were significant increases in train oil taste, metal taste, and bitter taste in the fillets. This was shown by mixed model analysis of variance and canonical variates analysis. Volatile lipid peroxidation products such as aldehydes and ketones were identified and quantified in the salmon. For most of the peroxidation products the concentration increased during storage. The content of lipid hydroperoxides and free fatty acids also increased during storage, and the changes were fastest in salmon stored at −10 °C. A decrease in highly unsaturated fatty acids was observed in salmon stored at −10 and −20 °C. Peroxide values and the content of free fatty acids were shown by a partial least-squares analysis to be the best of the instrumental data in describing the sensory changes. Keywords: Salmon; taste; volatiles; canonical variates analysis; lipid peroxidation; lipid hydroperoxides; free fatty acids