Multivariate Nature of Fish Freshness Evaluation by Consumers

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the sensory acceptability limit of refrigerated fish through a multivariate approach, involving classic physicochemical and bacteriological indicators and considering different consumer profiles. The results of the survival analysis demonstrated that, in general, consumers still considered the fish to be suitable for purchase (4.128 days of storage), despite being microbiologically unsuitable for consumption. However, the subsequent division of consumers into clusters indicated that women and individuals with high income and education levels tend to reject fish with few days of storage (3.650 days), mainly due to discoloration, despite still being microbiologically suitable for consumption. Thus, these segments present a safer behavior regarding the purchase of fresh fish. The influence of different frequencies of fish consumption and age of consumers on the assessment of fish freshness was not clarified. The responsibility for ensuring safe and healthy products at the point of sale must lie with the producers and distributors. However, improving consumers’ ability to make good choices when buying fresh fish would bring social and economic benefits related to public health and to the seafood industry, because it would enable them to make relevant claims and demand their rights.

Optimizing UVC‐LED application to improve the shelf life of vacuum‐packed refrigerated stored Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fillets

“…Nevertheless, fish is highly perishable due to its intrinsic properties (e.g., nutrient composition, high water activity, and pH close to neutrality), allowing fast microbial growth, autolytic enzyme activities, and oxidation reactions (Monteiro et al, 2012(Monteiro et al, , 2013. For instance, the shelf life of refrigerated stored tilapia fillets is about 2-4 days (Monteiro et al, 2018;Viana et al, 2022). This aspect is a global concern because fish rapidly lose quality, becoming soon unfit to consume and generating food safety risks; besides, a large part is wasted (30%-35%) annually from catch to consumption, mainly due to inadequate preserva-tion and consumer behavior, such as lack of confidence to fish freshness assessment according to the retail standards (e.g., color) and over-purchasing (FAO, 2022;Viana et al, 2022).…”

“…For instance, the shelf life of refrigerated stored tilapia fillets is about 2–4 days (Monteiro et al., 2018; Viana et al., 2022). This aspect is a global concern because fish rapidly lose quality, becoming soon unfit to consume and generating food safety risks; besides, a large part is wasted (30%–35%) annually from catch to consumption, mainly due to inadequate preservation and consumer behavior, such as lack of confidence to fish freshness assessment according to the retail standards (e.g., color) and over‐purchasing (FAO, 2022; Viana et al., 2022). Therefore, efforts from different private and public sectors, including the scientific community, are needed to enable commercially employable, low‐cost, effective, and eco‐friendly preservation technologies to boost the global sustainable fish production chain with extended shelf life, food safety, and waste reduction.…”