Evaluation of Lipid Quality and Fatty Acid Composition of Tilapia, Oreochromis spp., Fillets Available in US Supermarkets

Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) aquaculture is one of the fastest growing segments of the seafood industry. Tilapia is a lean, low-fat fish, with minimal fishy odor that is often associated with fatty fish. Over the last several years, in the media, tilapia has been criticized for having fatty acid compositions "worse than bacon". The objective of this research was to characterize the fatty acid compositions (FACs) in tilapia fillets sold in supermarkets in various regions of the USA. Statistical analysis of fatty acid composition was conducted on the samples from different regions of origin: Central America, China, South America, Southeast Asia, and the USA. For fillets from these origins, the total lipid contents were 2.7, 1.9, 2.1, 2.9, and 1.1 g/100 g fillet ("as is" wet weight basis), total n-6:n-3 ratios were 4.9, 4.3, 5.3, 6.6, and 1.3, docosahexaenoic acid levels were 26.0, 28.3, 29.3, 18.5, and 87.8 mg/g oil, and arachidonic acid levels were 16.8, 23.1, 28.0, 17.7, and 40.4 mg/g oil, respectively. Although there was wide variation in FAC in commercial tilapia fillets examined, FAC indicated that tilapia is a healthy dietary choice for consumers.