Fillet Fat and Fatty Acid Details for Newfoundland Winter Herring

Abstract

Fillets from a selection of large Newfoundland winter herring (skin on), traditionally those processed for food use, were examined for lipid content and fatty acid composition. The lipid content ranged from a high of 16.5% in a January sample to a low of 6.0% in a March sample. Saturated fatty acids, predominantly palmitic, were reasonably constant and averaged 28.2% of total fatty acids. Total monoethylenic fatty acids ranged from 36.5% to 54.9%, but docosenoic acids were relatively low, averaging only 7.7% of the total. Accordingly, the contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids in some of the fillet samples were high, generally in those with the most lipid. As a consequence iodine values of fillet lipid fatty acids were higher than previously indicated by study of oils produced by commercial reduction of Newfoundland winter herring.