COMPARISON OF POND AND RACEWAY PRODUCTION METHODS ON TEXTURE OF CHANNEL CATFISH (Ictalurus punctatus) FILLETS, SHOWING A DEPENDENCY ON SIZE AND FILLET POSITION.

The objective of this study was to compare the effect of the production environment (pond vs in-pond raceway) on the chemical composition, color, and textural properties of channel catfish fillets.  Compositional analysis consisted of percent moisture, lipid, protein, and ash content.  Additional samples were baked in foil for presentation to ten trained sensory panelists or subjected to a mechanical texture analyzer.  

Although sensory analysis showed no significant differences, mechanical texture analysis was able to show a dependency of the measured hardness value on the fillet thickness, with a slight divergence between pond and raceway as the fillet thickness increased.  The fillet thickness was also related to the size of the catfish, therefore an increase in catfish size would show an increase in mechanical hardness, or firmness.  Since the fillet shows an increase in thickness from tail to head, the firmness is also seen to increase in this same direction.

Because the sensory panel analysis was based on the average of all catfish from each sample, their inability to distinguish a difference in firmness would be related to the average thickness of raceway samples (7.5 mm) and pond samples (8.3 mm) having a corresponding calculated hardness value of 105.6 g and 105.8 g.  These values are not significantly different.

Color analysis determined catfish fillets from ponds had a greater red color than those from raceways.  But no significant differences were found for proximate composition.  Overall results imply that either pond type can be used to produce catfish without adversely affecting composition or texture.