Comparison of Moist and Dry Cooking on Sensory Quality,Consumer Acceptance and Marketability of Canned Bighead Carp

Abstract

Canned bighead carp has shown potential as a freshwater fish product. Canned products made from bighead carp loins that had been either cooked in steam or a convection oven were evaluated by a consumer panel of 90 individuals. The consumers were not told the identity of the fish under consideration. Acceptability was estimated by use of hedonic scales for sensory attributes, open-ended questions about how the products compared to similar canned fish products, and the just right scale for attribute direction for change. Willingness to pay compared to similar products also was determined for each product. Both carp products were light in color and contained less than 1% crude lipids. Acceptability of both products was good with the steam-cooked carp products being slightly more preferred in most categories. For the sensory attribute, “overall liking,” 54% of panelists rated the steam-cooked product as either like very much or like moderately. Likewise, over 60% of panelists indicated that either carp product was better than or equal to canned tuna and that they would be willing to pay as much for either product as tuna.