Potential of meat meal to replace fish meal in extruded dry diets for barramundi, Lates calcarifer (Bloch).: II.: Organoleptic characteristics and fatty acid composition

The organoleptic quality of barramundi fed for 66 days on pelleted diets containing varying amounts of fish meal and meat meal was determined in two experiments (E1 and E2). Each compared four diets: a 430 g kg(-1) crude protein (CP) control diet (containing 35% Chilean anchovy fish meal); two diets containing high inclusions (40% or more) of meat meal; and a proprietary barramundi diet. In E1, the two meat meal diets contained 10% Chilean fish meal whereas the two meat meal diets in E2 had no marine protein ingredients. Panellists identified and rated the colour of flesh, and scored odour, flavour and texture characteristics and overall liking on structured graphic line scales (0-100). Fish fed the high-meat meal diets were sweeter and firmer than those fed the high-fish meal control diet in E1 (P < 0.05). Scores for fishy flavour were also highest for the meat meal diets and lowest for the proprietary diet. In both E1 and E2, scores were high (> 60) for overall liking and low (< 10) for undesirable odours and tastes. Exclusion of all sources of marine protein from the diet in E2 did not detract from the sensory value of the fish. The influence of diet on the fatty acid profile of the fish was examined in E2. Compared with fish fed the control diet, the neutral lipid fraction of those fed the meat meal diets had higher proportions of saturated and short-chain monounsaturated fatty acids at the expense of longer chain fatty acids, especially 22:6n-3. Polar lipids showed only subtle dietary effects, which were confined to the long-chain unsaturated fatty acids.