Pasteurization Effect on Fatty Acid Stability in a Sous Vide Product Containing Seal Meat ( Phoca groenlandica )

The stability of selected fatty acids in a sous vide product containing seal meat ( Phoca groenlandica ) plus vegetables was examined. The product was processed at five time/temperature combinations. In addition to pasteurized and nonpasteurized products, a conventionally heated (about 100°C) product was prepared for comparison. Unsaturated fatty acids constituted 81.3% of the total fatty acids in the nonpasteurized product. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n‐3) was 0.9 mg/g and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n‐3) was 1.2 mg/g in the nonpasteurized product. EPA was 19% higher and DHA 68% higher in the sample pasteurized at 65°C vs the conventional. Furthermore, pasteurization at lower temperatures retained 22% more EPA and 57% more DHA than pasteurization at higher temperatures.