Production of High Quality Frozen Cod (Gadus morhua) Fillets and Portions on a Freezer Trawler

Abstract

Five batches of “frozen at sea” cod products processed on a freezer trawler in the Barents Sea were studied: (i) glazed portions, (ii) glazed vacuum packed portions, (iii) unglazed portions, (iv) interleaved packed fillets, and (v) double frozen cod fillets. All batches were produced from a single catch on a freezer trawler. Changes in product quality during frozen storage were evaluated by measuring water holding capacity, water loss on cooking and sensory quality indices of cooked samples. The glazed cod portions, glaze vacuum packed cod portions and interleaved packed cod fillets remained with high sensory and physical quality after 46 weeks of frozen storage. In contrast, unglazed cod portionsand double frozen cod fillets developed cold storage odor and flavor coupled with very dry and fibrous texture during frozen storage. It was concluded the improved handling and processing technique used in this present study made it possible to produce high quality “frozen at sea” cod products from the Barents Sea on freezer trawlers over a storage period of 46 weeks. This provides the opportunity to introduce high quality “frozen at sea” cod products in place of the traditional single or double frozen cod products on the retail or catering markets.