Inhibition of lipid oxidation during processing of washed, minced Atlantic mackerel

An antioxidative system that was designed to maintain heme iron reduced, nonheme iron as an inactive chelate, and provide free radical scavenging in the aqueous and lipid phases, was most effective when added early in the processing of washed, minced mackerel muscle. Mince prepared from mackerel dark muscle showed greater propensity to oxidize than did the mince from light muscle. Washed mince from light muscle in the presence of the antioxidative system showed no loss of odor quality during 24 wk at -20 degrees C. Postmortem age of the mackerel muscle had little effect on initial odor quality of the washed mince