Improving the Quality of Frozen Fillets of Semi-Dried Gourami Fish (Trichogaster pectoralis) by Using Sorbitol and Citric Acid.

Phatthranit Klinmalai,Warinporn Klunklin,Suwalee Fong-In,Suphat Phongthai

doi:10.3390/foods10112763

Phatthranit Klinmalai, Warinporn Klunklin + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10112763

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Abstract

Semi-dried gourami fish (Trichogaster pectoralis) is popularly consumed domestically and exported as a frozen product. This study was conducted to prevent deterioration quality in frozen fish fillets during storage. This research aims to investigate the effects of sorbitol and citric acid at concentrations of 2.5% and 5% (w/w) of frozen gourami fish fillets compared to the fillets soaked in distilled water on physicochemical properties, such as cooking loss, cooking yield, drip loss, pH, TBARS, color, and texture profile analyses (TPA) during storage at −18 ± 2 °C for a period of 0, 20, and 40 days. The fish soaked in sorbitol and citric acid solutions had significantly (p < 0.05) higher protein and fat contents than the control sample. Sorbitol was able to retain moisture in the product; therefore, the drip loss and cooking loss were the lowest, and cooking yield was the highest among other samples (p < 0.05). The addition of 5% (w/v) citric acid in frozen fish fillets can significantly retard the thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) (p < 0.05) during storage when compared to fish soaked in sorbitol solution kept for the same period. However, the addition of citric acid resulted in low quality in texture and color of frozen fish fillets. The use of sorbitol was the best alternative in frozen fish fillet product due to reducing the negative effects of freezing quality of the products and generating a cryoprotective effect compared to the fillets soaked in distilled water.

Highlights

Nowadays, Thailand has ample and increasing in exported frozen food or processed food, which is an important industry
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cryoprotective effects of sorbitol and citric acid on physicochemical properties of frozen snakeskin gourami fish fillets, such as texture, color, moisture, protein, lipid content, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), pH, drip loss, cooking loss, and cooking yield during storage at −18 ± 2 ◦C for 0, 20, and 40 days
The moisture content of frozen fish fillets soaked with distilled water was decreased from 73.20 ± 1.17% to 54.98 ± 3.22%, a decrease of 24.89%, whereas moisture content of frozen fish fillets soaked with 5% sorbitol was slightly decreased by 10.7%

Summary

Introduction

Thailand has ample and increasing in exported frozen food or processed food, which is an important industry. The freezing process affects product texture, which is related to deformation and disintegration. Frozen foods need to be thawed prior to cooking or further processing. Thawing aims to restore the quality of fresh products; it affects final food quality attributes. Phosphates are used to improve the functional properties during frozen storage because the phosphates can increase water-holding capacity in fresh products, decrease thawing drip loss, and prevent cooking loss of frozen products [2,3,4,5]. Phosphates affect sensory attributes, such as juiciness, due to an increase of water-binding properties. Phosphates are not allowed for application in most fish products in some countries [2]

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