Effects of microwave cooking on fish quality

Changes in tenderness, unit proteolytic activity, protein denaturation and fatty acid content of trout (Onchorhyncus mykiss) cooked in microwave oven for different time-power combinations were studied and the relationship bet ween protein denaturation and textural changes was investigated. Trout was cooked in the microwave oven at 20, 40 and 60% powers for 10, 20, 30, 40 s. As a control uncooked fish was used. Proteolysis was controlled by using m icrowave energy. Texture degradation due to proteolytic enzymes was reduced as microwave power increased. As cooking time and/or power of the microwav e oven increased, proteolytic activity decreased which was a sign of the in crease in enzyme inactivation. A correlation was found between the variatio n of texture and proteolytic activity (r = 0.973). It was observed that pro teolytic enzymes were effective especially on myosin. Most of the fatty aci ds were not destroyed during microwave cooking. The optimum cooking conditi ons in microwave oven were determined as 60% power for 20 s of cooking time .