Changes of fish oil quality due to storage temperature and time

SUMMARY Changes of Fish Oil Quality Due to Storage Temperature and Time In this study, effects of storage temperature and time on fish oil quality were observed. Five different fish oils were extracted from anchovy {Engraulis encrasicolus, L., 1758), horse mackerel (Trachunis trachurns, L., 1758), twaite shad {Alosa fallax, Lacepede, 1803), garfish (Belone belone, L., 1758) and golden mullet (Mugil auratus, Risso, 1810) caught abundantly in the eastern Black Sea region. Fish oils extracted by solvent extraction methods stored in two different temperature, +4°C and -18°C. In these fish oils, chemical quality parameters were examined for 150 days. All chemical quality parameters except iodine and ester value increased with time both in refrigerator (+4°C) and deep freezer (-18°C) samples. All fish oil samples stored in refrigerator preserved properties of acceptability for only 90 days. However, acceptability tolerance was found 120 days for anchovy and shad oils and 150 days for golden mullet, garfish and horse mackerel oils stored in deep freezer. Most oxidative deterioration was found in anchovy and shad oils. Among all samples, garfish oil showed the most oxidative deterioration tolerance. According to obtained data, oxidative deterioration in fish oil samples stored in refrigerator and deep freezer showed statistically important differences (P<0.05). Generally; fish oils stored in deep freezer did not exceed limit of acceptability for 150 days. However, fish oils stored in refrigerator exceeded limit of acceptability after 90 days. Keywords: Fish Oil, Oil Quality, Oxidation. VII