EFFECT OF ADDING TABLE SALT AND CITRIC ACID ON SOME PROPERTIES OF IRAQI FISH (LIZA ABO MUGILIDAE) AFTER COOKING IN A MICROWAVE OVEN.

Fish is considered an essential food source that should be entitled to be part of the human choice due to its richness in proteins, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. However, there is rising concern about the correct labelling of fish products where it is vulnerable to contamination and corruption. This current study aimed to assess moisture levels, protein content, peroxide value (PV) in fish. Local Iraqi fresh fish (Liza abo mugilidae) purchased from Baghdad market (from Tigris River) were examined for its moisture and crude protein contents by reference methods. Significant differences in proximate composition were determined after cooking the fish in the microwave for 8 min for three treatments: table salt, acid and salt and acid mixture in different concentration. In general, local fish showed the highest moisture content (80.1 g/100 g). Significantly, lower moisture and lower crude protein/nitrogen and higher PV contents were observed after cooking the fish in microwave oven treated with various NaCl salt concentrations and citric acid treatment and a mixture of both NaCl salt and citric acid. The results indicate that the best conditions to cook Iraqi local fish is without adding salt or citric acid before cooking in microwave oven for safe fish quality, and therefore, they can be added after microwave cooking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]