Table 3. — Organoleptic scores of glazed whole heads-off Spanish mackerel {Scomberomorus maculatus). 



Control 4.2 4.4 4.2 3.6 4.0 4.6 4.0 3.8 3.8 3.6 



Tenox 4: 



Injected 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.4 3.8 4.6 4.0 4.0 4.8 3.4 



Dipped 4.0 3.8 4.4 3.8 3.8 4.2 3.8 2.2 3.4 2.8 



Tenox 6: 



Injected 3.8 3.4 4.0 3.6 3.4 3.4 4.0 3.4 3.8 3.0 



Dipped 4.4 4.6 4.6 4.4 4.0 4.6 4.2 3.0 3.4 3.6 



EDTA: 



Injected 4.2 3.8 4.4 3.8 2.8 3.6 3.4 2.8 3.0 2.6 



Dipped 4.4 4.6 4.4 3.8 3.8 4.2 3.6 2.4 3.6 3.2 



Tenox 4 + EDTA: 



Injected 4.2 4.5 4.4 4.0 3.8 4.8 4.2 4.0 4.0 3.4 



Dipped 4.0 3.2 4.2 3.6 3.0 2.6 4.0 3.0 3.0 2.6 



Tenox 6 + EDTA: 



Injected 4.4 3.4 4.4 3.8 3.8 4.2 3.6 3.0 3.0 2.8 



Dipped 4.4 4.6 4.6 4.2 4.4 3.8 4.0 3.6 3.6 3.6 



A = Appearance 

 F = Flavor 

 T =: Texture 



3.0 1.5 1.0 1.8 



most samples treated with Tenox 4 and Tenox 6 

 did not receive organoleptic scores equaling the 

 control (Tables 1, 2, 3). 



Rancidity was observed by the taste panel 

 in most samples not packed in vacuum between 

 the third and sixth month. Severe discolor- 

 ation usually preceded the detection of ran- 

 cidity by several weeks in samples treated with 

 mixtures of antioxidants. This discoloration 

 was exhibited by a general darkening of the 

 flesh in the controls and a yellowish hue in 

 samples treated with Tenox 4 and Tenox 6. 

 Samples treated with EDTA, however, did not 

 develop any rancid off-flavors during the stor- 

 age period. 



Figure 1 shows a typical flavor curve describ- 

 ing deterioration of flavor in vacuum-packed 

 fillets during frozen storage. The Tenox 6 

 curve is typical of data obtained from samples 

 treated with mixtures of the various antiox- 

 idants. Control fillets packed in vacuum show 

 a more or less steady decline in flavor through- 

 out the storage period (Table 1 ) . The scoi-es of 

 samples treated with Tenox 6 decreased un- 

 evenly from 4.0 to 2.25 (Table 1). The flavor 

 curve of fillets treated with EDTA and packed 

 in vacuum remains higher than the controls 

 from the third month to the ninth month (Table 



1) . At the third month, or about the time ran- 

 cidity was first noticed in some samples, the 

 control and Tenox 6 treated samples showed a 

 slight increase in averaged scores. 



The evaluation of texture by the taste panel 

 throughout the storage period showed inter- 

 esting results. Typical curves can be seen in 

 Figure 2. The texture of the controls dropped 

 in the ratings from 4.0 to 3.4 after 3 months' 

 storage whpre it remained until the sixth 

 month. Samples treated with Tenox 6 were 

 rated superior to the controls in texture through 



Control - 



Tenox 6" 



EDTA 



4 S 



TIM! (MONTHS! 



Figure 1. — Organoleptic score for flavor of Spanish 

 mackerel fillets. 



