Fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins in salted herring (Clupea harengus) products

The fatty acid composition and contents of fat and fat-soluble vitamins of three salted products prepared from Icelandic herring were analyzed. The effects of storage on the products over their shelf life, 6 or 12 months, were investigated. The average oil content of salted, gutted herring and salted fillets in vacuum remained constant, 17 and 12% of wet weight, respectively. In the pickled product the oil content decreased during the 12 months of storage from 13 to 12%. The composition of the products was typical for herring, the most abundant fatty acids being oleic (18:1n-9), palmitic (16:0), cetoleic (22:1n-11), and gadoleic (20:1n-9) acids. Monounsaturated acids constituted clearly the main group with a proportion of >50% of all fatty acids. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) comprised together >12% of all fatty acids. During storage, some hydrolysis of triacylglycerol (TAG) occurred, causing a slight reduction in practically all esterified fatty acids. In none of the three products was the loss of polyunsaturated fatty acids from TAG greater than the loss of saturated ones, indicating that the loss of EPA and DHA was not due to oxidation. After packing, the average content of vitamins A, D, and E in the products varied between 27 and 87 microgram/100 g (wet weight), between 17-28 microgram/100 g (wet weight), and between 77-120 microgram/100 g (wet weight), respectively. During storage, the level of vitamin A decreased significantly, whereas no loss of vitamin D was observed. The content of vitamin E was low in all products and showed wide variation. When compared to the recommended daily intake, it could be concluded that the products investigated were good and stable sources of long-chain n-3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA) and vitamin D.