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Convenient cuts of poultry products are of significant interest, but they are perishable products with a short shelf life. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) or the application of active packaging based on edible and biodegradable coatings could extend the shelf life of perishable foods. The aim of the present work was the kinetic modelling of the effect of MAP and active coatings with antimicrobial agents on the microbial growth and shelf life of chicken cuts. Broiler chicken thighs processed with pectin-based (2% w/w aqueous solution) edible coatings enriched with 1% extract of citrus bioflavonoids (flavomix) or 0.5% glucono-δ-lactone were stored under aerobic conditions at 0, 5 and 10 °C. Untreated thighs were also stored aerobically or in MAP (42.7% O2, 18.5% CO2). Quality evaluation was based on the growth of spoilage bacteria (TVC, Pseudomonas spp., Brochothrix thermosphacta), pH, colour, and sensory scoring. The tested quality indices were kinetically modelled and the Arrhenius model was used for the definition of the temperature dependence of the quality loss rates. Pseudomonas spp. dominated spoilage at all packaging and temperature conditions. Microbial growth correlated well with sensory degradation (Ea = 80–100 kJ/mol). Glucono-δ-lactone-enriched edible coatings resulted in 2 days of shelf life extension for chicken thighs at 5 °C. MAP and active, edible coatings with citrus extract showed a similar effect on the quality deterioration rate, and thus the shelf life of chicken cuts. Based on microbial growth, the shelf life was 6–7, 11, and 13 days at 5 °C for the control, EC-glu, MAP, and EC-flav samples, respectively (limit of acceptability = 107 cfu/g for TVC). The results of the study show the potential for using MAP or edible, active coatings to extend the shelf life and improve the commercial value of broiler chicken cuts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The efficacy of washing and the investigation of alternative sanitizing treatments for the reduction of microbial population are major issues for fresh fish and seafood. Limited work on the effect of alternative washing media on fish, particularly gilthead sea bream, one of the important popular fish species, has been published and no industrial scaling-up has been reported. The objective of this study was to systematically evaluate the effect of surface decontamination treatments on the microbial load of fish and the quality and shelf life during subsequent chilled storage. Citric acid (200 ppm for 0–10 min), lactic acid (200 ppm for 0–10 min), and peracetic acid (0–200 ppm for 0–4 min) were tested as alternative washing media by immersion of gutted gilthead sea bream by evaluating their effect on microbial growth and physicochemical and organoleptic degradation of fish. The results of the study indicated that washing with citric (200 ppm, 10 min) and peracetic acid (200 ppm, 4 min) significantly delayed the growth of spoilage microorganisms (total viable count, Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae spp., and H2S-producting bacteria) in gutted fish and extended the shelf life to 18 days at 0 °C, compared to 11 days without washing treatment. Appropriate handling and processing of fish and shelf-life extension may enable longer transportation and thus open new distant markets, as well as contribute to reduce food waste during transportation and storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study was the evaluation of the effect of slurry ice, as an alternative cooling medium during harvesting and transportation, on the quality parameters (e.g., microbiological stability, sensory attributes, physicochemical changes) and shelf life of fish. The effect of seasonal variability of seawater temperature on fish preservation using the tested cooling media was also investigated. Gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) was slaughtered and transported in different mixtures of conventional flake ice and slurry ice for 24 h. Three mixtures of ice were tested as T: slaughtered in flake ice and transported in flake ice (control), TC: slaughtered in slurry ice and transported in flake ice, T50: slaughtered and transported in slurry ice 50%–flake ice 50%. Samples were subsequently stored isothermally at 0 °C for shelf-life evaluation. Three independent experiments were performed at three different periods, i.e., January, April, and September, referring to a sea water temperature range of 13.3–26.8 °C. Higher sea water temperatures at catching led to lower microbial growth rates and proteolytic enzyme activities and longer shelf life of refrigerated whole fish. The partial replacement of conventional flake ice with slurry ice improved the quality and extended the shelf life of fish at 0 °C by 2–7 days. The results of the study support that the use of slurry ice may enable better quality maintenance and significant shelf-life extension of whole gilthead sea bream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study evaluated the effect of oregano essential oil (EO) on fresh salted, packaged (45%CO/5%O/50%N) rainbow trout fillets and stored for a period of 21 d at 4 °C. Treatments included the following: M1 (control without added EO), M2 (EO 0.2%, v/w), and M3 (0.4%, v/w). Populations of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), HS-producing bacteria (including Shewanella putrefaciens), Enterobacteriaceae, and Pseudomonas spp. reached higher final numbers in control (M1) than for M2 and M3 samples. Under treatments M2 and M3, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) and trimethylamine nitrogen (TMAN) values were lower than for M1 samples, whereas lipid oxidation, as judged by determination of thiobarbituric acid values (TBA), did not occur during the refrigerated storage period. Interestingly, treatment M2 resulted in a shelf-life extension of 7 to 8 d for the fresh trout fillets, whereas treatment M3 proved unsuitable (due to strong odor) for trout fillet preservation, as determined by sensory evaluation. The use of an essential oil such as oregano oil in fresh fish preservation may be considered an alternative 'natural' additive, enhancing the sensory characteristics and extending the shelf life of the product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]