Postmortem Changes of Cultivated Atlantic Salmon and Their Effects on Salt Uptake

Abstract

ABSTRACT Rigor mortis of cultivated Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) began to set in 8h after death and was fully resolved 60–70h after death during storage at 0°C. Maximum muscle contraction was observed 24–30h after death. ATP content decreased from 7.25 to 0.14 to 0.09 μmol/g fish from pre‐rigor mortis to in‐rigor mortis to post‐rigor mortis state. The inosine and hypoxanthine contents increased from 0 to 1.20 to 4.06 μmol/ g fish and from 0.08 to 0.33 to 0.84 μmol/g fish during 60h storage, respectively, during 60h of storage at 0°C. Postmortem changes affected salt uptake. The equilibrium salt concentrations of pre‐rigor, in‐rigor and post‐rigor mortis salmon were 0.53, 0.66 and 0.75 g/g salt‐free solids, respectively, in a 20% (w/v) sodium chloride solution at 10°C.