Treatment of Catfish Fillets with Citric Acid Causes Reduction of 2‐Methylisoborneol, but not Musty Flavor

Catfish fillets containing 2‐methylisoborneol were vacuum‐tumbled in 0%, 0.5%, and 2% citric acid solutions, or left untreated to evaluate acid treatment for reducing musty flavor. Color, texture, composition, and expressible moisture were determined using raw fish. Untreated and 2% acid‐treated cooked fish were evaluated by sensory evaluation. MIB, determined by GC‐MS, significantly decreased from 4.43 to 2.80 μg/kg as a result of vacuum‐tumbling with 2% citric acid. The moisture content, expressible moisture loss and lightness of the samples increased as a result of acid treatment. Panelists preferred untreated samples compared to the 2% acid‐treated samples, but were unable to differentiate between them in terms of musty flavor.