Using Antioxidants for Extending the Shelf Life of Frozen Nile Karmout(Claries lazera)Fish Mince

Nile karmout (Claries lazera)fish mince was treated with 0.5% sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), 0.5% ascorbic acid, 0.5% citric acid, and 0.1% Na EDTA, then stored at -18°C for 6 months. Yield, proximate composition, thiobarbitunc acid value (TBA), free fatty acid (FFA), salt soluble protein (SSP), non-protein nitrogen (NPN), water holding capacity (WHC), and cooking loss were determined at 0, 2, 4, and 6 months of storage. The yield of skinned fillet from whole fish was 47.0%. Moisture, protein, fat and ash offish mince were 72.9%, 17.6%, 8.5% and 1.0%, respectively. TBA values and FFA levels indicated that ascorbic acid and Na2EDTA were the most effective antioxidants. Samples treated with STPP had the highest salt soluble protein. STPP was effective in maintaining the WHC of treated sample. Samples treated with citric acid had the highest cooking loss. Results of the study suggested that karmout is an excellent source for producing fish mince for further processing. Samples treated with antioxidants retarded the rancidity during frozen storage.