Master of Science / Food Science / Terry Houser / The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of natural nitrites on objective color of vacuum packaged fresh pork. Sections of longissimus dorsi muscle (approximately 18 cm) were injected with solutions containing 0, 3, 6, 9 or 12 ppm of natural nitrite. Sections were sliced into chops (2.54 cm) and individually vacuum packaged. Raw chop surface L*, a* and b* values were measured at 1, 5, 15 and 30 days post packaging. At 1, 15 and 30 days post packaging chops were cooked and surface L*, a* and b* values were measured. Hue and Chroma values were calculated for all color measurements. Linear and quadratic contrasts were evaluated on treatments for all measured and calculated color values. A linear (P<0.05) increase was detected on the L* values for days of vacuum storage treatment, all other raw color measurements and calculations for levels of natural nitrite and days of vacuum package storage were found to be quadratic (P<0.05). Cooked L* and Hue values for days of vacuum storage were found to decrease linearly (P<0.05), all other days of storage and levels of nitrite treatments were found to be quadratic (P<0.05) in relationship to the measured and calculated cooked color values. All raw chops containing nitrite had higher a* and Chroma values at all evaluation days than those containing no added nitrite. Raw chops containing nitrite had lower L*, higher b* and Hue values than the 0 ppm chops (P<0.05). Raw chops containing natural nitrite were darker, redder, more yellow and more intense in color than those without nitrite. The longer the chops were vacuum packaged and then cooked, the lower the L* values were (P<0.05). Cooked chops containing nitrite were redder, less yellow and lower in Hue and Chroma values than cooked chops with no added nitrite P(<0.05). These results indicate that low levels of nitrite can alter fresh and cooked pork color during vacuum storage. To balance the increased redness and darkness of the raw chops with the increased redness of the cooked chops, 3 ppm of natural nitrite was found to be the optimal treatment.

This work was aimed at studying lipid stability of silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen) fillets. The influence of the inclusion (5%) of soybean or rice oil in silver catfish diet and vacuum packaging on lipid and color stability of raw silver catfish fillets was evaluated during frozen storage (18 months). Besides, the influence of seven cooking methods (boiling, conventional baking, microwave baking, grilling, deep frying in soybean oil, canola oil, or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil) on the oxidation, proximate, and fatty acid composition of fillets was also evaluated. The different diets had no effect on the proximate composition of the fish fillets. The content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS, lipid oxidation index) of fillets from both diets increased after 12 months of storage with or without vacuum, but this increase was higher in fish fed with soybean oil. Color parameters were not affected by the vacuum storage or diet, but most parameters (a*, b*, chroma, and Hue values) were affected by the time of storage. Hue value showed that raw fillets tended to yellowness and after 18 months of frozen storage became greener. The content of various fatty acids in fillets was influenced by the type of vegetable oil used in the diet, but n-3/n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids ratio and unsaturated/saturated ratio did not differ between diets. All cooking methods evaluated reduced moisture and increased protein content. Fat content was higher in the fried fillets. The free fatty acid content of fillets was significantly reduced by the different cooking methods, while conjugated dienes and peroxide values decreased for all fried samples, but remained constant in the samples submitted to the other cooking methods. Boiling and baking increased TBARS, while grilling and frying did not change TBARS. Boiling, baking, and grilling did not affect the silver catfish fillets fatty acid composition. Frying in canola oil increased n-3/n-6 ratio, in soybean oil increased general polyunsaturated fatty acid content, and in hydrogenated vegetable oil incorporated trans fatty acids in the fillets. Results indicated that fillets from silver catfish fed diets with soybean or rice oil have different lipid profile and lipid stability during frozen storage. Frying silver catfish fillets in canola oil could increase the low n-3/n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids ratio of raw silver catfish fillets. / O presente trabalho teve por objetivo estudar a estabilidade lipídica de filés de jundiá (Rhamdia quelen). Foi avaliada a influência da inclusão (5%) de óleo de soja ou arroz na dieta do jundiá, e a embalagem a vácuo, sobre a estabilidade lipídica e a cor de filés crus congelados (18 meses). Avaliou-se também a influência de sete métodos de cocção (cozido em água, assado em forno convencional ou microondas, grelhado, ou frito em óleo de soja, arroz ou gordura vegetal hidrogenada) sobre a oxidação, a composição centesimal e de ácidos graxos de filés de jundiá. Não houve diferença na composição centesimal dos filés entre as dietas. O conteúdo de substâncias reativas ao ácido tiobarbitúrico (TBARS, índice de lipoperoxidação) aumentou nos filés dos peixes de ambas as dietas, após 12 meses de armazenamento congelado, tanto nos filés embalados com ou sem vácuo. Esse aumento foi mais acentuado nos filés dos peixes alimentados com dietas contendo óleo de soja. Os parâmetros de cor não foram afetados pela embalagem a vácuo ou pela dieta, mas a maioria dos parâmetros (a*, b*, croma e ângulo de matiz), foi afetada pelo tempo de estocagem. O valor de ângulo de matiz mostrou que os filés crus tendiam ao amarelo, e após 18 meses de armazenamento congelado tenderam ao verde. O conteúdo de vários ácidos graxos nos filés foi influenciado pelo tipo de óleo vegetal utilizado na dieta, porém a razão dos ácidos graxos poliinsaturados n-3/n-6 e insaturados/saturados não diferiu entre as dietas. Todos os métodos de processamento térmico avaliados reduziram a umidade e aumentaram o conteúdo de proteína dos filés. O teor de gorduras foi maior nos filés fritos. O conteúdo de ácidos graxos livres dos filés foi significativamente reduzido pelos diferentes métodos de processamento térmico, enquanto os teores de dienos conjugados e peróxidos diminuíram em todas as amostras submetidas à fritura, mas permaneceram constantes nas amostras submetidas aos demais métodos de processamento térmico. Nos filés cozidos e assados observou-se aumento dos teores de TBARS, enquanto os grelhados e fritos não sofreram alteração neste parâmetro. A composição de ácidos graxos dos filés de jundiá cozidos, assados e grelhados não foi alterada pelo tratamento térmico. A fritura em óleo de canola aumentou a razão n-3/n-6, enquanto que a fritura em óleo de soja aumentou o conteúdo total de ácidos graxos poliinsaturados, e a fritura em gordura vegetal hidrogenada incorporou ácidos graxos trans aos filés. Os resultados indicam que os filés de jundiá alimentados com dietas contendo óleo de soja ou de arroz tiveram perfil lipídico e estabilidade lipídica diferente durante o armazenamento congelado. A fritura dos filés de jundiá em óleo de canola poderia aumentar a razão de ácidos graxos poliinsaturados n-3/n-6, que é baixa nos filés de jundiá crus.