Effect of precooking and polyphosphate treatment on the quality of catfish fillets cooked in pouch in boiling water

Authors: Li, Carissa; Bland, John; Bechtel, Peter

Submitted to: International Journal of Food Science and Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/14/2017
Publication Date: 5/15/2017
Citation: Li, C.H., Bland, J.M., Bechtel, P.J. 2017. Effect of precooking and polyphosphate treatment on the quality of catfish fillets cooked in pouch in boiling water. International Journal of Food Science and Technology. doi:10.1111/ijfs.13459.

Interpretive Summary: Cooking or reheating food in a vacuum-sealed bag has been a common method of preparing vegetables, meats and poultry products. However, there are very few examples of vacuum-sealed bags designed for cooking or reheating catfish fillets. The present work studied the effect of precooking on the quality of catfish fillets cooked in a vacuum-sealed bag by carefully comparing the properties of raw frozen and oven precooked frozen fillets after the vacuum bags were cooked in boiling water. Meanwhile, changes in properties as a consequence of treatment with a commercial polyphosphate blend were also evaluated. This work is expected to provide practical information to the catfish industry in the preparation of future cook-in-bag catfish products that are designed to be placed in boiling water for cooking or reheating.

Technical Abstract: Cooking or reheating food in a vacuum-sealed bag has been a common method of preparing vegetables, meats and poultry products. However, there are very few examples of vacuum-sealed bags designed for cooking or reheating catfish fillets. The objective of the present study was to examine the properties of raw frozen and precooked frozen catfish fillets that were cooked in a vacuum-sealed pouch in boiling water. The effect of a commercial polyphosphate blend (IQF) on properties of boiled raw frozen and precooked frozen catfish fillets was also evaluated. After the vacuum pouches were boiled in water, sample analyses included weight loss, proximate content, color (L*a*b*) using a Minolta colorimeter, pH, mechanical texture (hardness), and TBA reactive substances. Both raw frozen and precooked frozen fillets containing polyphosphate showed a significantly lower percent moisture loss after cooking, of less than 2.1%, relative to the fillets without polyphosphate which had a 4.7-5.6% moisture loss. Color analysis showed a notable increase in lightness and yellowness after cooking, with a significantly higher b*(C) (yellowness) value for fillets without polyphosphate. Similar texture properties were observed between treatments, however, an overall harder texture (~1.3-1.7 times) was determined for fillets without polyphosphate. This study will be used to develop precooked catfish products that can be reheated in a vacuum-sealed pouch placed in boiling water.