Effects of Initial Freshness Level, Frozen Storage Temperature, and Storage Period on Lipid Deterioration and K-value in Meat Blocks from Chub Mackerel Scomber japonicus

Abstract

ABSTRACT The effects of freshness level of raw materials, frozen temperature, and storage period on lipid oxidation and K-value of chub mackerel Scomber japonicus meat during frozen storage, were investigated. When the chub mackerel meat was stored at −20°C for 12 months, the peroxide values (PVs) of the low-freshness group (LG) were significantly higher than the medium-freshness group (MG) and the high-freshness group (HG), respectively. The K-value of LG was significantly higher than MG and HG. However, when storage was at −30°C, the PVs of HG were at the same level as that of MG but were slightly lower than LG. In contrast, the K-values of samples did not change at this storage temperature. These results indicate that the quality of chub mackerel before freezing was improved by human handling and that the quality was maintained at a high freshness even when they were stored at −20°C for 12 months.