Improving the Taste of Catfish

People aren’t eating as much American-grown catfish as they did at the turn of the century. Studies show this is due, in part, to naturally occurring chemicals that create an off-flavor in the meat. Researchers at the ARS Food Processing and Sensory Quality (FPSQ) research unit in New Orleans, LA, are conducting research to ensure better quality of U.S. catfish.

Chemicals from blue-green algae blooms are the primary culprit in producing the off-flavor, but it can also come from other microbes. Fish largely collect these chemicals through their gills, but researchers have found an oral route as well.

The researchers are trying various management practices to reduce the amount of the off-flavor compounds, including “depuration” (placing fish in holding tanks of clean water to allow them to purge whatever off-flavors they may have absorbed), applying food-safe acids that are known to break down some off-flavors, and using ultraviolet-C (UVC) light during packaging. UVC kills some bacteria and reduces spoilage.

Landing a solution to the off-flavor problem is a work in progress, but scientists have plenty of reason to keep trying; studies show that retail sales of U.S. catfish have increased 22% in the past 5 years.