Kinetic research was carried out to compare the effects of storage tem
perature and lipid content on the rates of oxidative deterioration of
lipid in fish muscles (skipjack, sardine) during storage al low temper
atures (from 5 to -20-degrees-C). Peroxide value (POV) was preferable
to other indexes for estimating lipid oxidation. Changes with time of
POV in skipjack fillet and sardine minced muscles were plotted as sigm
oid curves, and the oxidation rate of lipid was expressed as the appar
ent rate constant [h-1] of reaction obtained from the formula of the f
irst-order auto-catalytic reaction. As a result, the effects of temper
ature, lipid content, and antioxidant on the rate of lipid oxidation w
ere evaluated by the kinetic analysis. It appears reasonable to expres
s the oxidative degree of lipid in the fish muscles using the correspo
nding amount of POV (POV-C), which was the amount of peroxide (meq/100
g fish muscle) accumulated in the lipid content of 100 g fish muscle,
like a TBA number rather than the POV (meq/100 g lipid).