CONTENT OF n-3 LONG-CHAIN POLY-UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS IN FISH STICKS

Long-chain poly-unsaturated fatty acids from n-3 (LC-n-3 PUFA) are especially important owing to their nutrition value. Their main sources are fish lipids. Fish sticks, constituting the research material searched into in this paper, have both the fish lipids (core) and the plant lipids (batter). The objective of this study was to assess fish fingers available on the Polish market as a source of LC n-3 PUFA. Seven products from different manufacturers and made from different ingredients were investigated. The per cent contents of batter and lipids were determined along with the fatty acid composition in batter, core, and in the whole product. It was found that the fish sticks investigated were a poor source of nutritionally significant LC n-3 PUFA. They contained from 0.09 to 0.16 g LC n-3 PUFA/100 g of the product and had a fat content ranging from 6 to 8 % prior to the final heat treatment (frying). The exception was a D assortment manufactured from fat fish with a content of LC n-3 PUFA being ten times higher and a fat content twice as high compared with other fish fingers assessed.