HAVBRUKS-Havbruk - en næring i vekst

The project addresses important steps in the value chain from cage and into the market. Effects of handling stress, storage conditions, possible interactions between them, and how this may influence the quality of the muscle of farmed cod (Gadus morhua) a s food and raw material for further processing are investigated. Handling and storage conditions will be chosen to be relevant for the fish industry. This will lead to increased knowledge on how muscle quality of farmed Atlantic cod is influenced by ante mortem handling stress and subsequent storage conditions (above 0 C). As a result, guidelines on optimal handling and storage may be provided, helping the fish farming industry to produce high value cod products of high quality throughout the storage peri od of the fish, thereby optimizing the profitability of the farming, especially important in the northern area. Texture is a very important quality characteristic of fish muscle. A better understanding of the mechanisms of muscle softening is very importa nt for the Norwegian fish processing industry, as excessive fish muscle softening cause serious problems during filleting, resulting in reduced yield and fillet quality. Muscle texture is highly related to protein degradation, and previous studies have sh own that several proteolytic enzymes are important for the quality decrease of farmed cod fillets. In addition, the fillet sensory quality is quite rapidly reduced by improper storage conditions. Modern techniques such as proteome analysis will be used to study changes in relative quantities and modifications of muscle proteins. By this, we want to identify components in the fish muscle that correlate well with given quality properties and may act as markers for handling stress. The results will be correl ated with measurements of proteolytic activities, instrumental and sensory evaluation of the fish quality. The markers may then be used for early stage prediction of fillet quality after a given period of storage.