FISHERY BULLETIN: VOL. 69. NO. 2 



The fact that persons unaware of the feeding 

 regimen were less able to detect the off-flavor 

 may indicate that the members of the test panel 

 were overly critical in their evaluation. In 

 view of the subjectivity of organoleptic tests, 

 we felt that the aim of the trial was attained 

 and that a suitable gradient in the concentration 

 of fish oil in the diet was established for the 

 further study of fishy flavor. 



TRIAL II: RELATION OF FLAVOR OF MEAT 



TO BODY WEIGHT AT TIME MENHADEN 



OIL WAS REMOVED FROM DIET 



As in Trial I, in Trial II loin samples were 

 used in two organoleptic tests (panel and home- 

 consumer) to determine if any fishy taste was 

 imparted to animals fed the experimental diets. 

 Twelve panel members tested six loin samples 

 {longissimus dorsi and inner backfat) per day 

 during the test. The panelists were asked to 

 pick the conti-ol and to score each sample (lean 

 and fat) on a numerical scale of 1 (good) to 5 

 (inedible). In addition, the members of the 

 panel were asked to describe, subjectively, the 

 flavor of the samples. All panelists were aware 

 of the experimental design. 



A home-consumer test was conducted in the 

 same way as in Trial I. 



The diets used were formulated and prepared 

 in a manner similar to that indicated in Table 1. 

 Table 2 shows the gas-liquid chromatographic 

 analyses of the oil and of the diets fed. 



The samples were collected and prepared as 

 in Trial I. 



The results of both organoleptic tests (panel 

 and home-consumer, Tables 15 and 16) agree 

 with those obtained in Trial I. In the panel 

 tests, the i-esults indicate that off-flavors were 

 detected at the 0.8 Sr level of menhaden oil in 

 the diet and that a fishy flavor was detected at 

 the 1.0-:; level. 



In the home-consumer tests, a fishy flavor was 

 not detected until the pigs were fed menhaden 

 oil at the 1.2''r level in the diet. 



Table 15. — Panel test Trial II — organoleptic results 

 obtained with longissimus dorsi and inner backfat tissue 

 of pigs fed various levels of menhaden oil in the diet 

 until the pigs attained a body weight of 90.9, 79.5, or 

 68.0 kg. 



* As wos indicated in Trial I, one ponelist detected off-flavor and fishy 

 flavor in the control sample and in somples from pigs fed the low levels 

 of menhoden oil in the diet. Because this panelist wos unable to distin- 

 guish between the control and the test samples, he was replaced. 



Table 16. — Home-consumer test Trial II — organoleptic 

 results obtained with longissimus dorsi and inner back- 

 fat tissue of pigs fed various dietary levels of menhaden 

 oil in the diet until the pigs attained a body weight of 

 90.9, 79.5, and 68.0 kg. 



Concentration 

 of men- 

 haden oil 

 in diet 



Weight of 



] pigs when 



1 oil was 



omitted from 



diet 



Samples 

 tested 



Number 



of 

 testers 



Detection of 

 adverse flavor 



Off 



Fishy 



294 



