Abstract
Mutton birds (Puffinus griseus) are Sooty shearwater chicks that are harvested from 1st April to 31st May by Maori for consumption. Mutton birds and Kato (abdominal fat) from 2015 to 2017 were collected and were treated by salting or no salting. Mutton bird carcasses were dissected into three body parts: skin, breast meat (BM) and leg meat (LM). The body parts were analysed for lipid and moisture content, and Salted 2017 was selected as representative for proximate composition of mutton birds. Fatty acids and vitamin A and E in body parts were analysed using gas chromatography (GC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) respectively. Positional distribution of fatty acids are observed by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Thermal properties of Mutton birds were analysed using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The moisture content of Mutton birds are reduced in salted birds due to osmotic dehydration. Monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) content was higher than saturated fatty acid (SFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), and vitamin A content were higher than vitamin E content. Oil from salted 2017 samples melted faster and salted 2015 samples were crystallised slower due to lower PUFA and higher PUFA content, respectively.