Brining of cod fillets: influence on sensory properties and consumers liking

This study focused on how brining of cod fillets affected the sensory properties and the consumers liking. Fresh and frozen/thawed cod fillets were treated with a brine consisting of salt, phosphates, sodium-ascorbate and glucose in a vacuum tumbler. Sensory evaluations demonstrated that the intensity of the attributes cod smell, cod taste, glossiness, juiciness, flakiness and whiteness were higher in the brined products compared with non-brined. The consumers liking of the same products was evaluated by using an in-house consumer panel, and the brined products were preferred to the non-brined products. The sensory descriptive data and the consumer's preference data was modelled in a partial least square regression. The results strongly indicate that the preferences of the consumers were determined by the increased intensities of the attributes cod taste, glossiness, juiciness, flakiness and whiteness, as well as the lowered intensity of old/stale taste. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.