Quality Index Method—An Objective Tool for Determination of Sensory Quality

Quality Index Method (QIM) to assess the freshness and shelf life of fish

“…The use of a scaling method establishes robust data, reflecting the different quality levels of the fish in a simple and well-documented way. The QIM is based on significant sensory quality parameters using the well-defined characteristics changes of outer appearance attributes for raw fish and a score system from 0 to 3 demerit points (Hyldig and Green-Petersen 2004;Martinsdóttir 2002). The technique (described in Fig.…”

“…The processors can use the QIMs to estimate the shelf-life and plan the production more efficiently (Nielsen 2005). The QIM can also measure the influences of transport/storage on the sensory quality and the remaining shelf-life when the fish/fish product is stored on the ice (Hyldig and Green-Petersen 2004). For the electronic auctions, where buyers purchase the fishes unseen, QIMs have an obvious advantage over other sensory methods.…”

“…Sensory evaluation might also contribute to a 'processing index' (Nielsen et al 2002;Hyldig and Nielsen 2004). Given the usefulness of this method, it is expected that the QIM will become the leading reference method for the assessment of fresh fishes in Europe in the future (Hylgig and Green-Petersen 2004). The QIM schemes have been developed from the viewpoint of the industry and technical studies, but there have also been studies on developing a version for the consumer QIM (C-QIM) (Warm 2000).…”

“…The European fisheries research institutes, in close cooperation between the seafood industry, developed a new tool, by which sensory assessment is performed in a systematic and safe way with an objective quality assessment method, called the Quality Index Method (QIM) (Martinsdóttir et al 2001). Based on a structured scaling method, the QIM is suggested as a practical and objective tool for evaluating the fresh fish in production management in official seafood inspection as well as other parts of the chain (Hyldig and Green-Petersen 2004). Besides the advantages assigned to all the sensory analysis, such as non-destructive, quick and cheap way of assessing the freshness changes, QIM takes into account specific aspects of each species, or product, assessing the quality and freshness of the fish by sensory analysis of a set of attributes considered relevant and it allows estimating the remaining shelf-life time of a lot (Huidobro et al 2001;Esteves and Anibal 2007).…”

“…Most of the scoring systems are based upon the changes taking places during the storage in melting ice (Martinsdóttir 2002). This method had been expected to become the leading reference method for the assessment of fresh fish within the European community (Hyldig and Green-Petersen 2004). However, more studies are needed to evaluate the applicability of QIM for the handling, storage and processing of the fishes under different conditions.…”