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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Food Processing and Sensory Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #318538
Research Project: Improving the Product Value of Catfish

Location: Food Processing and Sensory Quality Research

Title: Textural and Compositional Comparison of Channel and Hybrid Catfish from Pond and Raceway Environments

Author
item Bland, John
item Bechtel, Peter
item Bett Garber, Karen
item WHITIS, GREGORY - Alabama Cooperative Extension Service
item WOODS, KRISTIN - Alabama Cooperative Extension Service
item Brashear, Suzanne
item Lea, Jeanne

Submitted to: Institute of Food Technology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/12/2015
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: ince the peak of the US catfish industry in 2003, the amount of catfish sold to processors has decreased by more than half, from 662 million pounds to 300 million pounds in 2012. This has increased the importance of producing a product with consistently high quality in an efficient manner, which has led to the development of a variety of emerging production systems using new technologies in recent years. These include split pond systems and more intensive systems such as in-pond raceway systems. In addition, the US industry has begun to introduce the hybrid catfish (channel × blue) with production increasing to almost 50 percent of catfish harvested in 2014. The objective of this study was to compare chemical composition, color, and textural properties of hybrid and channel catfish that were grown in either pond or raceway systems. Duplicate samples of channel and hybrid fillets were obtained from catfish raised in either a pond or raceway in Alabama. Samples were kept frozen until analyzed for color, percent moisture, lipid, protein, ash content. Additional samples were baked in foil for 15 min at 375 °F to an internal temperature of 200 °F for presentation to ten trained sensory panelists or subjected to a mechanical texture analyzer. Data were statistically analyzed. A difference in color was observed between hybrid and channel catfish (yellowness scale) as well as between pond and raceway (redness scale). However, no differences between pond and raceway catfish were seen for compositional percentages [ie, protein: 11.2 ± 0.5 (pond) and 11.3 ± 0.4 (raceway)]. There were also no significant differences found for texture determined by a sensory panel [ie, firmness: 4.55 (pond) and 4.41 (raceway)] or by mechanical texture analysis. This implies that either environment can be used to raise catfish without affecting composition or texture.