Methods for phosphate addition in heavy salted cod (Gadus morhua L.)

- Injection is a successful method for addition of phosphate in heavy salted cod.
- Phosphate addition during pickle salting leads to insufficient phosphate uptake.
- Phosphates significantly improve heavy salted cod yields.
- Phosphate treatment gave no systematic quality improvements of heavy salted cod.

Headed and gutted fresh or frozen and thawed cod (Gadus morhua L.) from the same net catch were hand filleted post rigor before carrying out small-scale salting trials. Fillets were heavy salted using three different methods introducing phosphate during injection, brining, or during pickle salting. For all salting methods, treatment with 0, 4.5, 9 or 18 g/L of the pyro and tri polyphosphate blend Carnal 2110 was carried out. Quality and chemical parameters were analyzed after 5 weeks and 6 ± 1 months of chilled storage of heavy salted fillets.Results showed that injection was a successful way of introducing phosphate in heavy salted fillets. Immersion in phosphate brine during pickle salting did not lead to effective uptake of these additives. Quality parameters were not altered significantly by the phosphate addition using both instrumental color and sensorial analysis of heavy salted cod. Treatment of phosphate did not significantly affect the oxidation of heavy salted cod, measured as TBARS. Considerable increases in yields were registered as a response to increased phosphate addition, and yields were significantly higher for heavy salted cod from frozen and thawed compared to fresh raw materials.