Abstract
To investigate factors affecting development of rancid off odor or flavor in cooked fish meat during storage in a refrigerator at 5°C, rates of lipid oxidation of the cooked meats of various species of fish were compared to each other by using TBA test and then influences of water-extract of fish meat on the lipid oxidation were examined. Rates of increases in TBA values of cooked white muscles of fish examined here during storage were as follows; saury>mackerel>sardine>horse mackerel>flying fish>sablefish>halibut>dusky sole. White meat species such as sable-fish, halibut and dusky sole were essentially not susceptible to rancidity. The susceptibility of white muscle of mackerel to rancidity was reduced remarkably by repeated extractions with water prior to cooking. Further, the dialysed water-extract of mackerel meat showed much higher activity to cause rancidity of water-extracted mackerel meat than the diffused solution.
From these results, heme pigment present in the fish muscle was suspected to be a major catalyst responsible for the development of rancidity after cooking.
