Water-holding capacity of wild and farmed cod (Gadus morhua) and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) muscle during ice storage

The aim of this study was to investigate how the presence of normal spoilage bacteria influenced the water-holding capacity (WHC) of wild cod, farmed cod and haddock during chilled storage. Bacterial growth was inhibited by soaking the fillets in 3 mmol/l NaN3 prior to storage. The results clearly showed that the three groups were different with respect to WHC and pH. Muscle pH was highest in haddock, lower in wild cod and lowest in the farmed cod. Significant differences in WHC between the NaN3-treated and nontreated groups of wild cod and haddock were found on the last sampling day. However, there was an inconsistency with respect to the relationship between pH and percentage liquid loss (LL%). The microflora of farmed cod is obviously altered from what is normal for wild cod. The results showed that bacterial growth may influence the WHC of the muscle. However, the relationship is inconsistent and may be temporal and not causative.