THE USE OF VACUUM IMPREGNATION TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE SMOKING PROCESS

Abstract

One of the new technologies contributing to preserve of the original properties of food (as fruit or vegetables or fish) is vacuum impregnation. Vacuum impregnation is one method to preserve foods using vacuum and pressure to fill the porous with osmotic solution. The application of vacuum impregnation had been conducted on smoked processing using liquid smoke for catfish fillet (Pangasius sp) and tilapia fillet (Oreochomis sp). Vacuum impregnation tool was used having 5 kg capacity of fillet product, vacuum pressure at 0.71 kg/cm2 and range of 0-6 kg/cm2 impregnation pressure. The research had done using osmotic solution with liquid smoke 1.5% and 17.4 g of salt/liter of water and the tool was set at condition of 0.71 kg/cm2 vacuum pressure and variations treatment such of vacuum process time (5 and 10 min), impregnation pressure (1 and 2 kg/cm2), and impregnation process time (5, 15, and 25 min). Each treatment was done in two replications. Analysis of these fillets before smoking process such of water content, protein content, fat content, color measurement, and hardness (cutting force). After smoking process these fillets are also analyzed for phenols content. Results showed that based on several parameters of the treatment, smoked fillet of catfish needed 35 minutes with phenol content 0.34 mg/kg and tilapia 25 minutes with 16.40 mg/kg phenol content. Thus by using vacuum impregnation tool could be shortening the smoking process for both of fillet. Keywords: fillet, liquid smoke, original properties, vacuum impregnation