Elucidating the evolution of quality and flavor profiles in marinated silver carp during processing

• Drying and smoking promoting protein degradation, lipid oxidation, and formation of flavor compounds. • Marinating inhibits protein degradation and lipid oxidation, revealing a bidirectional regulatory effect. • Sterilization treatment optimizes the flavor profile by altering lipid oxidation and amino acid content. • Study systematically elucidates the quality evolution mechanism of marinated silver carp in the processing. In order to elucidate the changes in quality and flavor components of marinated silver carp during processing, this study sampled the fish meat at six key stages of product preparation-thawing (THA), low-salt rinsing (RIN), drying (DRY), smoking (SMO), sauce marinated (SAU), and sterilization (STE)-and analyzed the quality and flavor profiles. The results indicated that thawing and drying had minimal impact on the quality and flavor components of the fish meat. Drying and smoking significantly reduced the moisture content from approximately 70% to below 45%, resulting in increased relative levels of fat content from 0.11 to 0.27 g/100g, salinity from 0.8% to 2.5%, and total acid content from 0.58 to 1.13 g/kg, accelerating protein degradation and lipid oxidation, and promoted the formation of flavor compounds-particularly aldehydes. During the marinated stage, the absorbed moisture diluted salinity and fat content while inhibiting protein degradation and lipid oxidation. Sterilization slightly intensified lipid oxidation but significantly elevated the content of umami amino acids, imparting a distinctive flavor to silver carp meat. These findings may provide theoretical insights for the selection and optimization of silver carp processing techniques.