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In the present study, we assessed the possibility of improving the shelf life of fresh sea bass ( Dicentrarchus labrax) fillets by using vacuum packaging and wrapping with chitosan-based edible films during cold storage at 4 °C. Sea bass fillet samples were periodically evaluated to assess chemical (pH, trimethylamine and total volatile basic nitrogen) and microbiological (presence of mesophilic aerobic bacteria and psychrotrophic bacteria) quality. Chemical spoilage (trimethylamine and total volatile basic nitrogen) and growth of microorganisms (total mesophilic and total psychrophilic aerobic bacterial counts) were significantly reduced ( P ≤ 0.05) in vacuum-packaged chitosan film wrapping during cold storage at 4 °C. The results showed that the shelf life of the control and vacuum-packaged groups ended within 5 days, whereas that of vacuum-packaged chitosan film-wrapped samples ended at 25 to 30 days. Therefore, the shelf life of sea bass fillets wrapped in chitosan was prolonged by about 20 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]