Color and Sensory Changes in Microencapsulated Fish Oil Powders Prepared Using Citrus Peel Essential Oils During Storage

The current study was designed to assess the color and sensory evaluation of microencapsulated (ME) anchovy fish oil powders by adding citrus essential oils (EOs) (orange, lemon, mandarin, and grapefruit) for 12 weeks of storage period at the room temperature (24 +/- 1 degrees C). After microencapsulation, it was observed that color brightness (L*), a* and b* values of the samples varied in the range of 76.46 - 81.51, (-2.50) - (-0.52), and 7.41 - 19.39, respectively. In general, L*, whiteness and hue values decreased with the storage time, while a*, b* and croma values fluctuated. Among the groups, the highest total color difference (Lambda E) was observed in the control group (8.04) while the lowest Lambda E was detected in mandarin peel essential oil group (4.55). ME fish oil powders differed from each other in terms of smell, appearance and particle diameters. Visual observations indicated that the color of control group ME fish oil powders was white, ME orange and lemon peel EOs groups were pale white, ME mandarin peel EOs group was yellowish and ME grapefruit peel EOs group was light orangish. Although dry powder samples of all groups were thin and smooth, clumping-agglomeration was observed towards the end of the storage, especially in the control group. According to the results of sensory analysis, it was determined by the panelists that the fishy odor observed in the control group was prevented by the added essential oils. It was concluded that the EOs used also suppressed the smell of rancidity observed at the end of the storage in the control group and prevented the rancidity of the oils in accordance with the color results by preventing the oxidation.