Effect of Pre-Treatment on the Quality of Smoked Baltic Sprats

Baltic sprats (Sprattus sprattus balticus) are a good source of protein, vitamins D₃, B₁₂, minerals, and unsaturated fats. In response to consumer demand, various types of fish products of stable quality are available all year round. Pre-treatment with brine containing acetic acid, salt (NaCl), and/or granulated CaCl₂ in various concentrations and proportions can be used to stabilise quality. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of various pre-treatment methods on smoked Baltic sprat sensory and technological parameters. Prior to smoking, fish was treated in a solution of additives in various proportions for 30 min. Untreated sprats were used as a control sample. The use of pre-treatment allowed reduction of the smoking losses; the combination of NaCl and acetic acid resulted in about 26% smoking loss. If no pre-treatment was applied, the drying losses after 24-hour storage were 1.6%, while using the solution of NaCl and CaCl₂ it decreased to 0.3%. Both the pre-treatment method and freezing affected fish pH. The pH of smoked fresh sprats was 6.73 and for smoked frozen sprats, it was 6.38. Sensory testing using the Just About Right (JAR) method demonstrated that the use of acetic acid made smoked fish texture firmer.