Effect of vacuum packaging on lipid oxidation of eel ( Anguilla anguilla) flesh during refrigerated storage

Abstract

Recent trends towards extending the shelf-life of fresh eel during refrigerated storage have rendered the control of lipid oxidation increasingly important. Eel fat is very sensitive to oxidative deterioration because of its high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. To delay or minimise oxidative deterioration of fresheel fat during refrigerated storage, the use of vacuum packaging was investigated. Lipid oxidation was assessed by monitoring malonaldehyde (MDA) formation in wild (n=10) and farmed (n=10) eel flesh samples at 0, 1, 2, 5 and 8 days of refrigerated storage in atmospheric air or under vacuum packaging, using a selective third-order derivative spectrophotometric method. The results clearly demonstrated the oxidative stability of vacuum packed eelflesh following storage for 8 days at 3±1oC and the significant oxidation of the atmospheric air stored eel flesh even after 1 day of refrigerated storage.

Keywords

• eel
• Anguilla anguilla
• lipid oxidation
• malonaldehyde
• refrigerated storage
• vacuum packaging