FISHERY INDUSTRIES OF THE UNITED STATES, 1939 225 
samples was also exposed to sunlight and air and the accelerated rate of 
rancidity was followed by the Wheeler peroxide test and also by a 
modification of the Wheeler test, suggested by another chemist of the 
Bureau of Fisheries for the purpose of a more complete estimate of the 
peroxide content of rancid oils. 
As an outcome of this series of tests three further series of acceler- 
ated rancidity tests were set up using the same tests on different types 
of fish oils; body, liver, and viscera oils at all stages of the develop- 
ment of rancidity. Very interesting data have been obtained which 
permit the development of several new hypotheses concerning the 
formation and determination of peroxides in oils. The data show 
that the peroxide determination methods tested do not indicate the 
time values and cannot be correlated with rancidity formation in the 
various oils. More work is necessary before any one test, or group of 
tests can be intelligently interpreted to the determination of the 
rancidity of the oil in the flesh of samples of frozen fish. 
TREATMENTS TO RETARD DETERIORATION OF FISHERY PRODUCTS 
ANTIOXIDANTS 
Under an industrial fellowship sponsored by the Musher Foundation 
of New York, studies were continued during most of the past year on 
the use of antioxidants in retarding the deterioration of fishery 
products. 
The first phase of the problem dealt with preventing oxidation of oil, 
and with inhibiting protein decomposition, in frozen mackerel and 
haddock fillets during extended storage by the use of the following 
antioxidants: Oat flour, water extract of oat flour, and ice made from 
the water extract of oat flour. The resulting data indicate that fresh 
fillets dipped in the water extract of oat flour before freezing and stor- 
age changed less in cold storage than the controls. Dusting the 
fresh fillets with oat flour prior to freezing was less effective. Storing 
fresh fillets in ice made from the water extract of oat flour showed 
no advantage over storing them in ordinary water ice. 
The second phase dealt with the use of an antioxidant mixture 
“Carblex” composed of glucose and lecithin in maintaining vitamin A 
potency by decreasing oxidation in cod-liver oil, particularly after the 
sealed containers are opened for household use. The addition of 
small amounts of Carblex appeared to be effective in this connection, 
but its use for this purpose is not recommended in view of a ruling of 
the United States Food and Drug Administration relative to the 
addition of preservative substances to food or medicinal products. 
The third phase dealt with the addition of Carblex to raw menhaden 
prior to manufacture into meal and oil to determine whether it would 
reduce oxidation of the resultant products. <A positive effect was 
observed in the rendered oil, but the finished meal showed generally 
negative results, since the heating process apparently had an anti- 
oxidant effect in itself. The phospholipids of the flesh appeared to be 
the naturally occurring antioxidants. In general, the addition of 
Carblex to the raw menhaden did decrease the rate of oxidation in the 
resultant oils and in some instances inhibited protein decomposition 
in the meal, but pilot plant studies will be necessary before the 
laboratory techniques can be applied to commercial practice, especially 
