Effect of chlorine dioxide treatment on lipid oxidation and fatty acid composition in salmon and red grouper fillets.

Chlorine dioxide (CIO₂) has been explored as a potential substitute for aqueous chlorine to clean seafood products. In an attempt to understand the interaction of CIO₂ with organic compounds, duplicate fillets of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar) and red grouper ( Epinephelus morio) were treated for 5 min with freshly prepared aqueous CIO₂ at 20, 40, 100, and 200 ppm total available CIO₂ in 3.5% brine. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values and fatty acid composition were determined. CIO₂-treated salmon and red grouper showed a dose-related increase in TBA; the 100 and 200 ppm groups had significantly ( P<0.05) greater TBA values than controls and the 20 ppm group. Treated red grouper and salmon did not differ in percentage monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids compared to controls, although differences occurred with some individual fatty acids. Thus, CIO₂ treatment did not greatly affect fatty acid composition of treated fillets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]