Catfish are the predominant U.S. aquacultural product. However, byproducts from filleting, including bones that are high in calcium, typically go to waste or are sold as a low-valued feed. This research evaluated the potential use of catfish bone powder (CBP; 21.07% calcium) as a food ingredient. Catfish fillet strips were dredged with a breading mix (CBPM) containing 0% (0CBPM), 10% (10CBPM), and 20% (20CBPM) CBP before frying. Consumers (N = 211) evaluated sensory liking (nine-point hedonic scale) and attribute intensity (JAR scale), emotions (check-all-that-apply), and purchase intent (PI, yes/no) of samples. Color and texture were measured instrumentally. CBP did not show any negative effects on liking scores, although crispiness was scored higher for 20CBPM (mean = 6.88) than 10CBPM (mean = 6.43). Positive emotions were most relevant to CBP-containing samples, with significantly higher rates of adventurous and understanding. Information about calcium fortification using CBP increased PI to 81.04% for the 10CBPM and 83.89% for the 20CBPM samples and showed a greater effect on Latin Americans/Hispanics than U.S. Americans. Consumers were not averse to the consumption of CBP which can contribute to sustainable nutrition through waste reduction. Successful calcium fortification of fried catfish dredged with 20% CBP did not compromise sensory liking and may be feasible in other products.

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Summary Production of hot sauce may require fermentation of red hot pepper mash in barrels from 2 weeks up to 3 years. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the microbiological changes and their impact on quality characteristics of red hot pepper mash during natural fermentation over a period of 18 months. Aerobic plate count (APC), lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast counts, as well as changes in pH, acid content, colour and aroma of red hot pepper mash, were analysed. LAB and yeast presented a symbiotic association throughout the fermentation process. Significant pH reduction was observed, with an inverse correlation with acid content. There were minor changes in the colour of the mash. Aroma was analysed based on six volatile compounds which had a significant increase during the first 60 days of fermentation, followed by a significant reduction after 300 days.

The U.S. is one of the largest catfish producers in the world. Louisiana is the leading producer of wild-caught catfish. Historically, the FDA inspected all seafood products; however, in 2008, congress moved the Siluriformes Order fish inspection to the USDA/FSIS. Full enforcement of the rule began on September 1, 2017. This study assessed the impact of USDA Siluriformes fish regulation on small Louisiana wild-caught catfish processors and determined the microbiological quality and  Salmonella  prevalence in raw fillets. For the assessment, nine facilities participated in the study. Pre- and post-enforcement surveys were used to identify whether facilities had established pre-requisite programs and record-keeping associated with sanitation, HACCP, food defense, and product recall. Also, the processors’ attitude about the change in regulations was analyzed. For the microbiological quality and  Salmonella  spp. prevalence, catfish samples were collected once a month for two years. Samples were evaluated for APC, coliforms,  E. coli ,  Staphylococcus aureus , and  Salmonella  spp. At the pre-enforcement survey, only one facility had a HACCP plan developed, but it was not implemented. After one year of full enforcement, all the facilities developed and implemented a HACCP plan to process fresh catfish. Also, 78% of the processors reported a reduction in the amount of catfish processed due to limits in hours of operation and loss of fishermen. For the microbiological quality, the counts for APC,  E. coli , coliforms, and  S. aureus  were 5.01±0.70, 0.58±0.89, 2.16±0.77, and 0.73±1.02 Log CFU/g, respectively. Additionally, 5.3% of the samples was confirmed positive to  Salmonella  spp. The findings of this study showed that after USDA enforcement, facilities improved food safety program documentation; however, the processing practices did not change. The microbial quality of the catfish fillets was within the acceptable levels in accordance with the ICMSF.

Shelf-stable, ready-to-eat shrimp offer a convenient, portion-controlled option for a highly desirable seafood commodity. The perishability of shrimp requires tight cold-temperature control during distribution and handling. Thermal processing of shrimp was evaluated in a multimode retort with automated control of come-up, heat, and cool times and with addition of high-speed reciprocal agitation. Reciprocal agitation was compared with static retort for thermal process and quality parameters, including cook time, process time to achieve target lethality (F 0), cook yield, texture, and appearance of shelf-stable shrimp. Total retort thermal processing times decreased from 30 min at 0 shakes per minute (SPM) to 17.1 min at 180 SPM to achieve same F 0. The time to reach targeted F 0 value of 6 min decreased by 29, 37, and 42% for 45, 90, and 180 SPM, respectively, compared with static retort thermal processing. The shrimp blanch yield was about 90% and retort yield was 70-75% after retort thermal processing for all retort runs (0, 45, 90, and 180 SPM). Shear force texture was significantly higher at all agitation speeds compared with static retort processing with values of 384, 422, and 475 g-F with increasing agitation and 294 g-F at static conditions. Increase surface sloughing and sedimentation was observed at higher agitation speeds. Oxygen headspace was under 1% for containers flushed with nitrogen, and the rigid plastic containers used for retort packaging were not adversely affected by either static or by reciprocal agitation up to 180 SPM. Thermal processing with reciprocal agitation at 90 or 180 SPM achieves similar (p > 0.05) shear force. Reciprocal agitation at 90 SPM is recommended for improved retort efficiency and increased textural quality of retorted shrimp. A sustainable, high-quality canned shrimp that can be stored at ambient temperature can be produced by reciprocal agitation retorts.