Sensory and textural attributes and fatty acid profiles of fillets of extensively and intensively farmed Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis L.)

Sensory attributes, texture and fatty acid profiles of fillets of Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) reared under two conditions were compared. Perch were reared either in an extensive pond-based (EC) system in polyculture with carp, or intensively cultured (IC) in a recirculation system. Attributes of raw and cooked fillets of marketable perch (120–150 g) were compared. No significant differences were found between groups for odour, flavour, aftertaste, or consistency in subjective evaluation of cooked fillets. The texture profile analysis (TPA) showed raw fillets from the EC group to exhibit higher values of hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and gumminess than the IC group. Fish from the IC group had a lower content of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and a higher content of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in comparison to EC perch. The proportion of iso- and anteiso-SFAs was 2.6% in the EC group and 0.75% in the IC group. The content of n−3 PUFA was lower in IC than in EC, while the content of n−6 PUFA was higher in IC than in EC. The ratio of n−3:n−6 PUFA was 1.42 for the IC group and 2.85 for the EC group.