Can citric acid neutralize the bases in fish?

Arenas, Altheia

Arenas, Alyanna Marie

De La Rosa, Jessica

Magdayao, Nystea Dianne

Villalobos, Kristine Faye

C-11PM-3

April 2021
 I. Introduction

Background of the Study

Cooking is one of the most significant household activities, we could say that it’s part of

our lives as we always do this daily. It is a practice that almost everyone can do, but in some

cases, some people are unaware of the various methods for improving the quality of food they

serve such as fish, which is one of the most commonly consumed seafood by many people. As

we all know, fish has this pungent fishy odor, and in some cases, this makes it unpleasant to eat

by some people. Little did we know there are some ways to get rid of this odor such as using

citric acid.

Citric acid is a weak organic acid and is one of the most common food preservatives

which helps to keep foods from decomposing due to microbial growth or unwanted chemical

changes, they mostly found naturally in fruits that contain citric acid or known as citrus fruits

like pomelo, grapefruit, citron, limes, oranges, tangerines, etc. But the most commonly used

citrus fruit for cooking are lemons and calamansi which can be found in different market stores,

lemon is around citrus fruit with a bright yellow color, it is well known as a good source of

vitamin C and helps to control weight but aside from that, this can also be used in flavoring for a

variety of sweet and savory dishes. While calamansi is green and smaller than the lemon but

this citrus fruit almost has the same benefits as lemon. The citric acid in lemons and calamansi

can react with the amines in fish and converts them to salt, eliminating the smelly odor. The

volatile amines, from organic compounds ammonia NH₃, which is the base, maintained the acid
(sour) and even gave the soft substance consisting of muscles and fat that is found between the

skin.

On the other hand, the reason why fishes have this fishy odor is that it contains

trimethylamine-N-oxide (CH3)3NO, which is enzymatically reduced to trimethylamine (CH3)3N,

after the death of a fish making the ammonia-like fishy odor or making the fish smelly. Lemon

has a characteristic to deal with this odor, acids could act as an antibacterial which can help to

enjoy your fish without it tasting too “fishy” and this happens through the process of

neutralization.

Neutralization is extremely important in our lives. It is required to balance or lessen the

acidity in our body to retrieve the affection of it. It is known to best counteract the activity or

effect of a substance that is difficult to kill or destroy.

Based on experiments, it has been proven that fish have volatile amines which are the

bases in their systems. In line with this, they are neutralized by the acids to surrender

nonvolatile ammonium salts. Ammonium salts are the cleansing agents, food additives, diuretic,

surfactants, antistatic agents, and disinfectants that help reduce the fish’s odor. This results in

the reduction of the fishy odor and addition of sour taste in the fish.
Significance of the Study

Cooking is part of most people’s lives, it is one of the most essential household activities.

Here in the Philippines, we are known to be passionate about food. Since fish is one of the

common ingredients, side dish, or topping in various Filipino dishes, we must know the basics of

the various methods to improve its quality. Calamansi and lemon can be applied for quality

improvement. Differentiating these two additives will help us determine whether Calamansi is

better to use instead of lemon since calamansi is more common here in the Philippines. This

study will be beneficial to our chefs or future chefs of our country.

Statement of the Problem and Objectives

This study aims to determine whether a fruit containing citric acids such as lemon and

calamansi can help preserve and neutralize fish meat. Through the hypothesis we formulate,

citric acid will be useful in preserving food such as meat because it helps to slow the bacteria in

meat and this can be achieved by inserting the lemon inside the raw fish.

This study aims to answer the following questions:

a. How does citric acid help to reduce the “fishy” odor produced by the fish?

b. What is the difference between a fish with and without citric acid?

c. Which of the two citrus fruits are more effective to neutralize the bases in the fish.
Scope and Limitations

This study will test the effectiveness and capability of citric acid from citrus fruit in the

preservation of meat, especially meat fish which we will use for the experiment. It will also

determine whether calamansi can give the same effect that lemon can do to neutralize the

bases in the fish.

There is no such measurement using numbers in this experiment but more on measuring

the smell and taste of the fish using our senses. We will test the sense of smell and taste of

other members of the household as we can’t depend on one’s sense of taste and smell because

everyone has different sensitivity in what they smell and taste.

Furthermore, there will be no introduction on measurements regarding the acidity that

citrus fruit and concepts regarding the sensitivity of senses humans have and will concentrate

more on the ability of citric acid from citrus fruits to neutralize meat.

II. Methodology

Our goal for this experiment is to know whether citric acid such as lemon and calamansi

can neutralize the bases in fish. To conduct our experiment, we gathered materials that are

needed for this experiment. The first needed material is fish. We will be using dory for this

experiment. The next material needed is lemon and calamansi. Both of these materials can be
 found in grocery stores or local and public markets. Other materials such as pans, spatulas, and

containers can be found at home.

To start the experiment, the fish was filleted and we have prepared 3 containers for

storage. For the first fillet, add 2 tbsp. of lemon juice and put it in the container. For the second

fillet, add 2 tbsp. of calamansi and put it in another container. Leave the last fillet unmarinated.

Marinate the fish fillets for 12 hours overnight. After marinating the fish, pan-fry the fillets until

it is cooked.

● Video Documentation of the Experiment

III. Results

To follow the rule which never relies on one's sense of taste and smell, we gather our

household members to know what they can say about the smell and taste of the fish. We have

constructed a rubric to sort out each other's taste and smell.

Taste- Cooked Fish

How can you describe the taste of the fish?

Rating Description Calamansi Lemon

1 Appetizing to eat 5

2 Pleasant to eat 5
3 Satisfactory

4 Fishy taste (unpleasant to eat)

5 Fishy taste (nasty to eat)

Odor -Uncooked

How can you describe the odor of the fish?

1 Has a strong pleasant smell 3 4

2 Has a faint pleasant smell 2 1

3 Satisfactory

4 Foul Smell (has an unpleasant smell)

5 Foul Smell (smells like rotten fish)

Odor - Cooked

How can you describe the odor of the fish after being cooked?

1 Has a strong pleasant smell 5 4

2 Has a faint pleasant smell 1

3 Satisfactory

4 Foul Smell (has an unpleasant smell)

5 Pungent (smells like rotten fish)

Based on the respondents’ answers to the given questions on the first set of questions

asking; “How can you describe the taste of the fish?” All respondents answered 1 to calamansi

which is equivalent to the fish having an appetizing taste. All of the respondents answered 2 to

lemon which can be expressed as it is pleasant to eat.

For the next question namely; “How can you describe the odor of the uncooked fish?”

For the calamansi 3 out of the 5 respondents answered 1 which is equivalent to the fish having

a strong pleasant smell while the rest answered 2 which states that the fish has a faint pleasant

smell. As for the lemon, 4 out of the 5 respondents answered 1 which can be expressed as the

fish having a strong pleasant smell, while the rest answered 2 which can be interpreted as the

fish having a faint pleasant smell.

For the last question which is “How can you describe the odor of the fish after being

cooked?” All of the respondents answered 1 for calamansi which states that the fish has a

strong pleasant smell. As for the lemon, 4 out of the five respondents agreed that the fish has a

strong pleasant smell after marinating it in lemon, while one respondent answered 2 which

states that the fish has a faint pleasant smell.

IV. Discussion

Taste of Cooked Fish

As you can observe in the answer of the respondents about the taste of the marination

in fish with lemon and calamansi, the marination of fish in lemon did not release a fishy taste.

The fish has amines in its body containing nitrogen atoms that have helped the lemon not get

too fishy. Furthermore, amines also have the power of water purification that if you get to taste

the marination of fish with lemon, you could have a non-fishy taste because the two of them

have helped, to have a tasty outcome.

As you can notice in the answer of the respondents about the taste of fish marinated

with calamansi; the outcome must have been well based on the taste of the respondents, and it

also looks like they have liked the marination of both of them since when they are mixed, these

two has a shield that could protect one’s condition in which they are maintaining to not get too

salty neither acidic. The fish marinated with calamansi have great work and come out good in

taste, which means it is pleasant to eat. Since calamansi and lemon are rated as high, it is

possible to use either of these two, in marinating fish when cooking, to achieve a tasty and

balanced salty-taste meal.

The odor of Uncooked Fish

Based on the rubric in the ratings of the odor of the uncooked fish, all respondents rated

the fish marinated in calamansi to 1-2 which describes as the fish has strong and faint smell,

kind of close to each other so we could say this is equivalent describes as the odor of the fish to
have no pungent smell. While for the ratings for the fish marinated in lemon, the respondents

gave it a rating of 1-2 as well. But the researchers confirmed that, between calamansi and

lemon, the more effective is the lemon because more respondents rated the uncooked fish

marinated in lemon than in calamansi.

The reduction of the foul smell from the fishes happened because the citric acid from

these citrus fruits neutralized the smelly amines coming from the fish and converted these

amines into less-offensive salts. Both fishes as well added 2 tablespoons of the citrus fruits

introduced in this experiment.

The calamansi and lemon contain citric acid and citric acid kills some bacteria. The acidic

pH of the citric acid can be a useful food preservative.

The fishy and foul odor produced by the raw fish happens when the fish are killed,

bacteria and enzymes convert Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) into Trimethylamine (TMA).

TMAO is important to act as the alternative electron acceptor which enables some bacteria to

manifest a rapid growth under anaerobic conditions and the TMA is the product of this reaction,

this is also an important component of the odor of the fish, TMA is responsible for giving the

fish a fishy smell.

The reduction in the odor of foul smell in the fish happened when the fish was

marinated in the citrus fruit for 24 hrs, fish could absorb the extract coming from the fruits.
Marinating could also be part of this because some additives for marinade can preserve the

meat or reduce its bacterial growth.

Other factors that affect these results are because the fishes are placed in the

refrigerator while marinated in the citrus fruits because freezing and refrigeration slow down

the microbial growth in foods. Using low temperature in food preservations helps to reduce

microbial and enzyme activity. Chilling and freezing are common ways of preserving foods

especially for raw meats, poultry, and seafood because this process helps to delay the spoilage

of foods.

The odor of Cooked Fish

For the odor of the cooked fish which marinated in calamansi rated by all the

respondents as has strong pleasant smell while the cooked fish which marinated in lemon got 4

ratings as 1 which convert to as the fish has a strong pleasant smell and got 1 rating as 2 which

expressed for fish to have a faint pleasant smell. Overall the researchers have decided that

when it comes to the odor of the cooked fish marinated between lemon and calamansi, the

calamansi gave a more pleasant smell to eat than the lemon.

It is so obvious that there is a big difference when it comes to the physical appearance of

the two fruits because the lemon is 2-3 times bigger than the calamansi that’s why researchers

get the extract of the fruits and put 2 tablespoons in each fish to have the same amount of citric
acid. When we compare the aroma that calamansi and lemon have, they are close to each other

but at the same time, there is still a little difference.

The way of cooking has something to do with the smell of the fish as well. When heating

food, the structure of germs breaks. Heat kills many food-borne bacteria clinging in our foods

especially in raw meats, just like Salmonella which is a type of bacteria mostly found in

uncooked poultry. When we refrigerate food the bacteria that can destroy it only slows down its

growth. The only way to kill bacteria starting to grow in food happens once you heat the food by

cooking it at temperatures around 165 degrees or so on.

V. Conclusion and Recommendations

This study discussed ways to improve the quality of the food we cook, specifically fish.

Fish that contain amines that make the pungent smell has been introduced to the citric acid that

comes from a variety of citrus fruits and helps to eliminate the nasty odor of the fish. Citric acid

is a weak organic acid and is one of the most common food preservatives which helps to keep

foods from decomposing as well as to eliminate the pungent odor of the fish which is one of the

most consumed seafood by people. Two of the common sources of citric acid can be found in

Lemon and Calamansi.

Upon experimenting to know which of these two is better to use for fish we can

conclude that Calamansi is better than lemon, which means that the amines reacted better in

calamansi. Fish marinated in calamansi was served with a very good odor and taste based on
the outcome of the experiment. This study proved that citric acid has something to do to

improve the quality of the food, aside from eliminating the bad odor of the fish it also gives out

a pleasant taste to eat.

For recommendation, it is ideal to marinate the fish in calamansi for 12- 24 to fully

absorb the citrus it has. On the other hand, since lemon has stronger acidity than calamansi it

would be better to marinate it in a shorter period of time to avoid a change in color, texture,

and result in too much acid to maintain the authentic fish flavor.

VI. Reference

Chemistry Stack Exchange. (n.d). Why does lemon juice reduce the “fish” odor of seafood -
specifically fish. Retrieved from:
https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/115219/why-does-lemon-juice-reduce-the-fish-
odor-of-sea-food-specifically-fish
American Society for Nutrition. (2011 August 24). Is Fish Smelly? Retrieved from:
https://nutrition.org/is-fish-smelly/#:~:text=Ocean%20fish%20tend%20to%20rely,be%20reduce
d%20in%20two%20ways.&text=Thus%20the%20odor%20compounds%20do%20not%20reach%
20the%20nose
App. (2014 October 9). Ocean Facts: What makes fish smell? Retrieved from:
https://www.app.com/story/sports/outdoors/fishing/hook-line-and-sinker/2014/10/09/ocean-f
acts-makes-fish-smell/16991205/
Moncel B. (2020 July 31). What Is Citric Acid? Retrieved from:
https://www.thespruceeats.com/what-is-citric-acid-1328465
J.J. Leisner, L. Gram. (2014). Trimethylamine Oxide. Retrieved from:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/trimethylamine-oxide