Cryoprotection of Frozen Trout Fillets for Smoked Trout Production

Fillets were soaked in water, 8% sucrose/sorbitol (S/S) or 1% sodium lactate (SL) with or without 0.5% phosphate and 0.05% MgCl2. After treatment, fillets were frozen stored at -20°C for 90 days. Smoked fillets and gels were subsequently prepared from those frozen fillets. L* and a* values of fillets following treatments with cryoprot-ectants and freezing, were lower than water-soaked fillets. Cryoprotectants (S/S and SL) significantly improved hardness and cohesiveness of gels prepared from frozen fillets, but did not affect the fillet shear force, and they increased smoke-oven yield of fillets compared to untreated and water controls.