Development of a low-sodium ready-to-eat desalted cod Original Research Article

A new methodology to obtain desalted cod by partial sodium replacement with potassium, and ready-to-eat, was proposed. Sodium substitution was carried out not during the salting stage but during the desalting stage by replacing the desalting water with NaCl/KCl diluted brines once equilibrium was achieved, allowing partial replacement in the fish muscle by means of diffusion mechanisms. Four levels of substitution were studied, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 and 0/100 NaCl/KCl (%), and compared to the traditional 100% NaCl desalted product. Process variables were defined and the effect of substituting sodium chloride by potassium chloride in some physicochemical parameters of desalted-cod was evaluated. A sensory evaluation of the raw and cooked obtained product was carried out so as to determine the maximum sodium replacement. The obtained results showed that it is possible to obtain low-sodium desalted cod, safe under refrigerated storage conditions, up to 100% and to 75% NaCl substitution by KCl, in the raw and cooked product respectively, without adversely affecting the sensory quality of the product.