Application of Salt Solution and Vacuum Packaging in Extending the Shelf Life of Cooked Fish Balls for Home and Retail Uses

Abstract

The effectiveness of salt solution and vacuum packaging in extending the shelf life of cooked fish balls was evaluated. Freshly produced fish balls were bought and divided into five groups (one group was air packaged [control]; three groups immersed in salt solutions [2.5, 5.0, 10.0%]; one group, vacuum packaged) and stored at 4 ± 1C for 14 days. Changes in aerobic bacterial counts, pH, texture and sensory characteristics were evaluated and shelf life was determined based on bacterial counts and sensory evaluation. A microbiological shelf life extension of 6 days was obtained for vacuum packaged and 4 days for 10% salt-immersed fish balls compared with control's shelf life (<3 days). Based on sensory analysis, vacuum packaging and 2.5% salt-immersed fish balls extended the shelf life of fish balls by 6 days compared with control's shelf life (<9 days). There was no significant (P > 0.05) changes in the pH values for treated fish ball samples. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSA limited shelf life of 4-5 days at 5C and 2 days without refrigeration is one of the major problems faced by the chilled fish ball industry especially the small-to medium-scale industries. Limited shelf life is also a problem to the consumers. As a product with high water content and rich in protein, fish balls are prone to the growth of microorganisms especially if stored at room temperature as what is commonly practiced at retail. Although freezing the fish balls enables them to last longer, the consumers and retailers might not prefer that as it tends to affect the texture and freshness of the fish ball. Thus, the development of readily available, inexpensive, simple and practical treatments to extend the shelf life of chilled fish ball at home and retail is much needed.

Quality changes of fish balls prepared from of mosul bleak (Alburnus mossulensis) stored at -18 ºC under air or vacuum

“…The decrease in appearance scores might be due to pigment loss and rancidity resulting in non-enzymatic browning. A decrease in appearance and colour scores of meat products with increase in storage period was also reported by Kilinc (2009) in anchovy patties, Yi et al (2011) in Collichthys fish ball, Duman and Özpolat (2012) in fish balls and Noordin et al (2014) in fish balls. This finding is supported by the results of chemical and microbiological quality analyses.…”

The Impact of Thyme, Rosemary and Basil Extracts on the Chemical, Sensory and Microbiological Quality of Vacuumed Packed Mackerel Balls

“…Especially thyme could mask the fish odor improving the sensory quality [ 28 ]. However, the combination of plant extracts and vacuum packing further enhanced the sensory quality from < 14 days to 28 days at chilled storage conditions, as reported by [ 19 ] for mackerel fish balls. This could be possibly attributed to the synergistic impact of plant extract with vacuum packaging.…”

“…Amongst natural preservatives, rosemary, thyme, and basil have been widely applied and reported for their preservation abilities due to antioxidant and antimicrobial activity as well as higher total phenolic content [ 14 , 17 ]. Additionally, they have improved the sensory and nutritional qualities in fishery products [ 15 , 16 , 18 , 19 ].…”

Quality changes and shelf‐life extension of ready‐to‐eat fish patties by adding encapsulated citric acid

“…It is difficult to compare these results with those reported in the existing literature because similar studies are lacking. However, the microbiological shelf life of the studied fish patties can be considered as relatively long, especially compared to other studies concerning sea bass that has been cooked using different methods and then vacuum‐packed, as well as vacuum‐packed raw fish patties and cooked fish balls that were subsequently vacuum‐packaged . Therefore, not only cooking, but also the re‐pasteurization step after vacuum packaging is crucial for ensuring microbiological quality and extending the shelf life of this product.…”