Quality Assessment of Chilled and Frozen Fish—Mini Review

Abstract

Fish is a very perishable food and therefore several storage strategies need to be employed to increase its shelf-life, guaranteeing its safety and quality from catch to consumption. Despite the advances in modern fish storage technologies, chilling and freezing are still the most common preservation methods used onboard. The present review aims to summarize strategies to increase the shelf-life of fresh (chilled) and frozen fish, as whole, gutted, or fillet, involving the assessment of different traditional cooling and freezing conditions of different fish species caught in different locations. Although there are other factors that influence the fish shelf-life, such as the fish species and the stress suffered during catch, storage time and temperature and the amount of ice are some of the most important. In addition, the way that fish is stored (whole, fillet, or gutted) also contributes to the final quality of the product. In most studies, whole chilled and frozen fish present longer shelf-life than those preserved as gutted and filleted. However, it should be noted that other factors related to the organism, capture method, and transport to the preparation/processing industry should be considered for shelf-life extension.

Improving the Quality of Frozen Fillets of Semi-Dried Gourami Fish (Trichogaster pectoralis) by Using Sorbitol and Citric Acid

“…In general, several authors indicated a steady increase in MDA over the storage period [31][32][33]. After 20 days of storage, the decline in the TBA level could produce secondary lipid oxidation products (MDA) observed in frozen fish fillets and affect the reaction between MDA and other compounds in the fish fillets [34].…”

Chemical characteristics and volatile compounds profiles in different muscle part of the farmed hybrid catfish (Clarias macrocephalus × Clarias gariepinus)

“…Because of these properties, the pH of the both muscles can be lower than that of the dorsal muscle. With the death of the fish, blood circulation, oxygen delivery and defence mechanisms cease to function, resulting in the glycolysis, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) expenditure and lactic acid formation (Duarte et al, 2020). The pHs of the dorsal and ventral muscles of farmed giant catfish were 6.33 and 6.35, respectively, according to Rawdkuen et al (2008).…”

Sustainable Consumption Using the Example of Food Processing in a Restaurant

“…If freezing is only used for a short time and maintains the sensory quality, the changes would be minor [72]. However, if we aim for optimal quality, further research and interaction studies are needed, for example, to check the raw materials before processing the study [73].…”