Variability in Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) from the Northeast Atlantic: a Review of Seasonal and Environmental Influences on Various Attributes of the Flesh

Fish to be used as food are judged on the nature of the texture, flavor, odor, surface appearance, and color of the fillet. Investigations on Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) have shown that all of these attributes can vary according to the season and the place where the fish were caught.Factors that influence one or more of the attributes are: firstly, the postmortem pH of the muscle, itself influenced by the supply of food and in some way by the body length; secondly, the lipid content, also influenced by feeding; and thirdly, the swimming activity of the fish.