Deterioration of European hake (Merluccius merluccius) during frozen storage

European hake (Merluccius merluccius (L)) was frozen as whole fish and as fillets and stored at −18°C, −24°C and −30°C for up to 39 weeks. Sensory properties, peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid value, lipid fatty acid composition, adenosine nucleotide degradation products, dimethylamine and formaldehyde were measured at intervals during storage. Changes at −30°C were negligible, otherwise fillets deteriorated faster than whole fish. Hedonic rating gave a storage life of around 9 months for whole fish stored at −18°C.