AbstractThe lipid of traditional salted, sun‐dried fish is highly susceptible to oxidation during processing and storage at tropical ambient temperatures (25–30°C), leading to browning and potential loss of nutritional and economic value of the product. Determinations of extractable fluorescence and soluble brown colour have been found to be relevant indicators of the high degree of lipid oxidation in such fish. Studies on model systems consisting of aerated fish oil and a range of components natural to fish confirmed that, at 25°C, the products of lipid oxidation reacted with phospholipids and amino acids to produce significant fluorescence. Similarly, proteins and amino acids interacted with lipid oxidation products to produce browning, although at 25°C, this only occurred in the presence of water. Temperatures above 50°C are required for the development of browning of aerated fish oil alone. The level of free amino acids in salted, sun‐dried fish was found to decrease during storage which correlates with amino acid involvement in fluorescence and colour production. The fluorescence/colour can be related mechanistically to the development of lipid oxidation products and hence provides a realistic basis for their acting as indicators of extensive lipid oxidation.