INFLUENCE OF VACUUM PACKAGING AND ORGANIC ACID TREATMENT ON THE CHILLED SHELF LIFE OF PEARL SPOT (ETROPLUS SURATENSIS, BLOCH 1790)

The present work was carried out to study the effect of vacuum packaging and organic acids drip treatment, namely, sodium acetate and potassium sorbate (2%), on the quality of pearl spot during chilled storage (1–2C). Changes in pH, drip loss, water-holding capacity, total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), trimethylamine nitrogen (TMA-N), total plate counts, instrumental texture properties and sensory characteristics were investigated up to 18 days. Sensory evaluation revealed that the potassium sorbate- and sodium acetate-treated vacuum-packaged samples had good sensory characteristics up to 16 days compared with 7 days in control air packs (CAPs) and control vacuum packs (CVPs). The sensory shelf life followed the following order: CAP  <  CVP  <  sodium acetate-treated vacuum pack  <  potassium sorbate-treated vacuum pack. Chemical analysis demonstrated a significant ( P   <  0.05) reduction in TVB-N, TMA-N and total plate counts, and better textural properties in potassium sorbate- and sodium acetate-treated vacuum-packaged fishes than CAPs and CVPs.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Limited shelf life is one of the major problems the seafood industry faces today. The study compares the effect of vacuum packaging in combination with preservative chemical treatment on the shelf life of pearl spot. The study indicates that the use of chemical preservative treatments such as sodium acetate and potassium sorbate at 2% level, together with vacuum packaging, helps in extending the shelf life of pearl spot to 16 days compared with 7 days in control air packs and control vacuum packs. Hence, vacuum packaging, together with preservative treatment, is very effective in shelf-life extension compared with vacuum packaging alone.