Lambari (Astyanax altiparanae) fishburger with natural antioxidant: concept evaluation, development and shelf life assessment

• Grant number: 17/17960-8
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): November 01, 2017
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology
• Principal researcher: Judite das Graças Lapa Guimarães
• Grantee: Nathalia Stabel Souza
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 19/03192-4 - Antioxidant extract from grape pomace as a reducer of the lipid oxidation of lambari fishburgers, BE.EP.IC

Abstract

Recognized as a valuable source of polyunsaturated acids, high quality protein and important nutrients that bring health benefits, fish accounted for about 17% of the animal protein consumed by the world population in 2013. In Brazil fish consumption does not reach the world average. Fish products which present characteristics of being healthy and easy to prepare, which are produced with fish from aquaculture and therefore coming from a sustainable production system, and which are preserved by the addition of natural compounds extracted from plants may have the necessary appeal to overcome some barriers that inhibit a greater consumption of fish. Lambari (Astyanax altiparanae) is a promising species of fish in continental aquaculture that stands out for its rapid growth, adaptability to different production systems and for its potential market for use as snacks. Lambariculture is the fastest growing activity in Brazilian aquaculture and may become even more attractive since equipment for scale removal and evisceration of lambaris are in the final stages of testing. Lambari's fishburger may be an innovative product, however, the use of techniques such as the Word Association, which seeks to understand what a new concept of product represents for consumers is a necessary step increasingly present in the development of products. In processed foods such as fishburgers the endogenous antioxidants can be lost and it is necessary to add antioxidants to inhibit lipid oxidation. The incorporation of antioxidants into lambari fishburger can improve the stability of the product under frozen storage. In addition, the use of an antioxidant such as cinnamon extract (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) that is rich in proanthocyanidin, chelating molecule prone to donate protons, which gives it high antioxidant capacity, can meet the demands of consumers for natural products. The objectives of this work are to evaluate consumers' perception of the new product concepts "Lambari fishburger" and "Lambari fishburger with natural antioxidant", to develop the products and to study the acceptance and stability of products under frozen storage for assessment of their shelf life . To achieve these objectives, the Word Association technique will be used to evaluate product concepts with 100 consumers. The extract of cinnamon will be obtained by extraction with hydro-alcohol solution and dehydrated by spray-dryer. In vitro antioxidant capacity of the cinnamon extract will be evaluated. Freshly slaughtered, de scaled and gutted lambaris will be processed in a mechanical deboning machine and the minced fish will be used for the elaboration of fishburgers of three treatments: added with cinnamon extract, added with commercial antioxidant (sodium ascorbate) or without antioxidant. Lambari fillets, mince and the fishburgers will be characterized in terms of physicochemical characteristics and microbiological contamination (total and faecal coliforms and psicrotrophics). Periodic analyzes for determination of lipid oxidation, sensory acceptance and weight loss will be performed in fishburgers for 6 months of frozen storage. The development of this project will allow the acquisition of important knowledge on the viability of production and acceptability of lambari fishburger. (AU)