Carbon monoxide treatments to impart and retain muscle color in tilapia fillets.
Carbon monoxide (CO) has been used for improving the color of muscle foods. In the current study, we compared the postmortem treatment of tilapia fillets with 100% CO and euthanasia of live tilapia with CO for their ability to stabilize the color of white and red muscle of tilapia fillets. Both postmortem CO treatment and CO euthanasia were effective in increasing the redness (a* value) and lightness (L* value) of tilapia white and red muscle. Fillets obtained from CO-euthanized tilapia showed significantly higher a* and L* values during 1 mo of frozen storage at -20 degrees C and subsequent thawing and storage at 4 degrees C for 18 d. The amount of CO present in the red and white muscles decreased during the 18 d of storage at 4 degrees C. There was no significant difference in the pH, drip, or thaw loss of CO-treated tilapia fillets compared to the untreated fillets.
Mantilla
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D
Aquatic Food Products Program, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.
Kristinsson
H G
HG
Balaban
M O
MO
Otwell
W S
WS
Chapman
F A
FA
Raghavan
S
S
D000818:Animals; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000187:drug effects*; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D017747:Seafood / Q000032:analysis / Q000592:standards*; D013696:Temperature; D017210:Tilapia; D013997:Time Factors
D002248:Carbon Monoxide