A research study on the chemical quality of sardine fish cooked by microwave

The effect microwave cooking upon chemical quality of sardine fish (sardine pilchardus) was studied. The chemical quality parameters include both nutritional (proximate composition, mineral composition and cholesterol content) and hygienic (fat quality indicators, protein quality indicator, contaminant levels). A total of 100 samples of fresh (locally produced) and frozen (imported) sardine fish (50 samples for each) were collected from different retail stores in Alexandria. Samples were subjected to microwave cooking and were analyzed for chemical quality parameters before (raw state) and after (cooked) microwave cooking. Results revealed that the proximate composition ( fat, protein contents) had significantly (P<=0.05) increased after microwave cooking with mean values of 12.610+-0.13 and 6.206+-0.183 for fat content in fresh and frozen microwave cooked samples while the mean values in raw samples were 5.503+-0.148 and 2.600+-0.164 for fresh and frozen samples; respectively. However, the mean concentration of protein in raw samples were 17.8+-1.200 and 16.1+-0.800; for fresh and frozen; and in microwave cooked were 20.120+-1 .80 and 17.23+-0.40; respectively. Concerning mineral composition, microwave cooking of sardine fish had insignificant effect upon nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) levels in fresh samples ( mean values : 0.006+-0.001; for raw and 0.007+-0.002 for cooked for Ni; 0.015+-0.007 for raw, 0.018+-0.004 for cooked for Cu; respectively). At same time, chromium (Cr) was not detected in both raw and microwave cooked fresh fish.