A 2³ factorial experimental design was used to investigate the effect of washing in combination with precooking on the oxidative stability of lipids in minced herring (Clupea harengus) at −18 °C. The following variables were studied:  washing (no, yes), cooking time (38, 54 min), and cooking temperature (55, 100 °C).The responses monitored were peroxide value (PV), absorbance at 234 nm (A₂₃₄), absorbance at 268 nm (A₂₆₈), and lipid soluble fluorescent products (FP). A partial least-squares regression analysis (PLS) revealed that the best lipid stability was obtained at minimum cooking time and at lower temperature. On the basis of compositional analyses and in vitro experiments, this finding was proposed to be due to heat inactivation of catalytic enzymes, without simultaneous activation, for example, of hemoproteins. Washing reduced these benefits from precooking by removal of pro-oxidative enzymes and also through a reduction in the amount of antioxidants as well as a relative increase in phospholipids and free fatty acids in the fat.

Keywords: Clupea harengus; herring; lipid oxidation; washing; precooking