Title: Effects of turmeric on quality attributes of brine salted dried Atlantic pollock (Pollachius virens).

Fish is a major source of protein but is highly perishable and so preservation methods to slow down spoilage are crucial. Salt drying is a simple traditional method used to preserve fish in Sri Lanka. Partial substitution of salt with spices as preservative could result in better products of salted dried fish due to antioxidant, and antimicrobial attributes of particular spices. Further, it may improve food attractiveness by adding flavours and colours. In this study, the effects of turmeric in salted dried fish production at 1% and 2% brine concentrations were studied during the processing after drying of Atlantic pollock (Pollachius virens). The effects on sensory attributes (appearance, odour, flavour and texture), microbial quality (Total Viable Counts and Specific Spoilage organisms), physico-chemical profile (water activity, water content, salt content, pH, TVB-N, Fat content, FFA, PV and TBARS) were evaluated. The results showed that the turmeric had a clear masking effect on spoilage odour and flavour of the dried product. The fillets were still fresh after brining, but after incubation and drying, a clear difference in spoilage flavour and odour was seen between turmeric treated samples and samples brined in turmeric free salt solution. Turmeric also influenced colour as a natural colour enhancer. After drying, lower level of TVB-N was found in the dried turmeric treated fish compared with the turmeric free dried sample. The addition of turmeric did not have an impact on water content, salt content, water activity, fat content and yield, but the 2% brined samples had higher salt content, higher yield, lower water content and lower water activity compared to 1% brined samples. The FFA values increased and phospholipids decreased during the processing, but no significant variation was observed between the sample groups. The PV and TBARS values indicated that turmeric acted as prooxidant instead of antioxidant for the turmeric concentration used.