Freezing and frozen storage has proven to be an effective method to preserve and prolong the storage life of seafood products. Production of frozen products provides all year around product availability although the catching is seasonal. There are several factors that can affect the quality and stability of frozen fish products, including the state of the raw material, processing methods and storage conditions. The aim of the study was to explore how the physicochemical properties of frozen herring fillets are affected regarding the state of the raw material during processing as well as storage conditions. Atlantic herring was processed and frozen pre- and post-rigor and stored at stable (-25 °C) and abused storage conditions. To investigate the storage stability and physical properties of the fillets, thawing drip, cooking yield and colour were evaluated, as well as proximate composition, fatty acid composition, pH and lipid degradation of the light and the dark muscle. The study demonstrated the importance of stable and controlled temperature during storage and transportation of frozen herring products. Processing and freezing pre-rigor, in combination with stable storage conditions, was shown to be beneficial in terms of preventing lipid oxidation, as well as reducing thawing loss and maintaining the cooking yield of the herring fillets.

Funding: AVS R&D Fund