Impact of high-temperature processing methods on pesticide residues, proximate composition, and sensory attributes of Catla catla muscle

Abstract

High-temperature processing plays a crucial role in improving the safety and quality of fish contaminated with pesticide residues. The present study investigated the effect of six different cooking methods pan frying, oil frying, microwave heating, air frying, water boiling, and salt water boiling on pesticide residues, proximate composition, and sensory attributes of Catla catla muscle. Residues of twenty-seven organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides were extracted using the QuEChERS method and quantified by GC-MS analysis. Results indicated that raw fish muscle contained comparatively higher levels of pesticide residues, whereas all high-temperature treatments reduced residue concentrations to varying degrees. Among the techniques, water boiling showed the highest overall reduction (73.68%), followed by salt water boiling (51.65%), likely due to leaching of water-soluble pesticides into the cooking medium. Air frying was the least effective (5.38%), while pan frying, oil frying, and microwave heating demonstrated moderate and pesticide-specific reductions. Certain thermally stable compounds such as heptachlor epoxide and dimethoate exhibited minimal reduction after processing. Proximate composition analysis revealed that frying methods significantly decreased moisture content and increased fat levels due to dehydration and oil absorption, whereas boiling increased moisture and maintained relatively stable protein and fat contents. Sensory evaluation using a 9-point hedonic scale demonstrated that pan-fried samples achieved the highest scores for appearance, texture, flavor, and overall acceptability, followed by air-fried samples, while boiled fish received lower acceptability scores. Overall, water-based cooking methods were most effective for residue reduction, whereas frying enhanced sensory quality, highlighting the need to balance food safety with consumer preference.