Seasonal variations in chemical and sensory characteristics of farmed and wild Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus)

Summary

Quality characteristics of fanned and wild halibut from the period of May to December were investigated by measuring liquid-holding capacity, muscle pH, fatty acid (FA) composition and by a quantitative descriptive sensory analysis. The liquid-holding capacity of farmed halibut muscle varied throughout the season. A significant increase in liquid loss was observed in July and August, indicating that the quality is lower in these months. The liquid loss (LL) increased with decreasing pH at pH lower than 6.3, whereas at higher pH, the LL was independent of pH. In the farmed halibut, the average muscle pH 6.14 varied from 5.90 to 6.64. Average muscle pH in the wild halibut (6.41) varied from 6.33 to 6.49. The fat content in the wild halibut muscle was <0.2% throughout the sampling period, while in the fanned halibut, it varied from 3.5% to 7.4%. The fatty acid composition in the muscles of halibut can be explained by the amount of fat in the muscle and the dietary fatty acids. The fatty acids present in the muscle of wild halibut are consistent with a very low fat content mostly made up by structural phospholipids. Although the proportions of the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are lower in the farmed than in the wild halibut, the total amounts are much higher. It was evident from a principal component analysis (PCA) of the sensory and chemical data that the differences were mainly seen in textural attributes and that chemical and sensory analysis described the same quality properties. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.