Effects of freezing/thawing on the microstructure and the texture of smoked Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)

The changes in microstructure and texture during smoking of fresh and frozen/thawed Atlantic salmon was studied in fish from three different origins; ocean-ranched Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) from Iceland and two groups of farmed Atlantic salmon from northern and western Norway. The muscle fibers from the frozen and thawed fish shrank, and the extracellular space increased compared to the fresh muscle. The muscle fibers from salmon fillets with smaller fiber diameter shrank to a less extent than fibers from salmon material with a larger fiber diameter. After smoking the space between the fibers and the fiber shrinkage increased to a higher extent in the muscle from the salmon that were frozen prior to smoking than muscle smoked from fresh salmon. The initial cross-sectional area of the fibers was not found to be related to the yield during smoking. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.