Location: Food Processing and Sensory Quality Research
2018 Annual Report
Accomplishments
1. Method development for measurement of catfish fillet texture. Catfish texture is important to consumers, especially if the texture does not meet consumer expectations for uniform product hardness and mouthfeel characteristics. Therefore, texture of farm-raised catfish has received much interest and ARS researchers at the Southern Regional Research Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, have developed a method for quickly evaluating fillet texture. Two treatments, fresh frozen and individually quick frozen with added phosphate, were evaluated using both sensory evaluation of texture and mechanical methods of texture determination. The two sets of catfish samples (fresh frozen and individually quick frozen) were compared and found to have slightly different texture qualities. A mechanical texture measurement method was developed by ARS researchers to predict the sensory texture measurements. This will lead to methods for catfish processors to quickly and conveniently monitor texture quality and for evaluation of other factors altering fillet texture characteristics for a better value for catfish.
Review Publications
Bechtel, P.J., Bland, J.M., Woods, K., Lea, J.M., Brashear, S.S., Boue, S.M., Daigle, K.W., Bett Garber, K.L. 2018. Effect of par frying on composition and texture of breaded and battered catfish. Foods. 7:46. https://doi:10.3390/foods7040046.
Bonilla, F., Chouljenko, A., Reyes, V., Bechtel, P.J., King, J.M., Sathivel, S. 2018. Impact of chitosan application technique on refrigerated catfish fillet quality. Journal of Food Science and Technology. 90:277-282.
Bland, J.M., Bett Garber, K.L., Li, C.H., Brashear, S.S., Lea, J.M., Bechtel, P.J. 2018. Comparison of sensory and instrumental methods for the analysis of texture of cooked individually quick frozen and fresh-frozen catfish fillets. Food Science and Nutrition. 1692-1705. https://doi.10.1002/fsn3.737.
Tan, Y., Haoran, G., Chang, S.K., Bechtel, P.J., Mahmoud, B.S. 2018. Comparative studies on the yield and characteristics of myofibrillar proteins from catfish heads and frames extracted by two methods for making surimi-like protein gel products. Food Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.07.201.
