Impact of Sodium Bicarbonate-Enriched Diet on Muscle pH and Quality of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) During Cold Storage

The effect of sodium bicarbonate (SB) supplementation to fish feed on the quality characteristics of rainbow trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss) under post-harvest cold storage conditions was investigated in this study. Rainbow trout fed with 0, 1M, 2M and 3M SB supplemented diets for 21 days before harvesting were stored at 4°C. The highest post-harvest pH level was observed in the group fed with 2M and 3M SB. TVB-N value was found between 14.88-15.68 mg/100g in fish fed with 1M, 2M and 3M SB supplemented diets, while it was determined as 20.14 mg/100g for the control group. At the beginning of storage, similar TBARs values were observed in all groups; however the increase in TBARs in the groups fed with SB supplemented feeds was slower than in the control. Sensory scores of trout fed with SB supplemented diets at the beginning of storage were higher than those of the control group. However, no difference was determined between the groups regarding shelf life (13 days). The best texture scores were observed in the 3M group throughout the storage period. Therefore, it can be concluded that SB addition to pre-harvest rainbow trout feeds can be used as a feed supplements to improve fish flesh quality.