Abstract
Fish products are highly perishable, requiring proper processing to maintain their quality and safety during the entire storage. Different from traditional methods used to extend the shelf-life of these products (smoking, salting, marinating, icing, chilling, freezing, drying, boiling, steaming, etc.), in recent years, some alternative methods have been proposed as innovative processing technologies able to guarantee the extension of their shelf-life while minimally affecting their organoleptic properties. The present review aims to describe the primary mechanisms of some of these innovative methods applied to preserve quality and safety of fish products; namely, non-thermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP), pulsed electric fields (PEF), pulsed light (PL), ultrasounds (US) and electrolyzed water (EW) are analysed, focusing on the main results of the studies published over the last 10 years. The limits and the benefits of each method are addressed in order to provide a global overview about these promising emerging technologies and to facilitate their greater use at industrial level. In general, all the innovative methods analysed in this review have shown a good effectiveness to control microbial growth in fish products maintaining their organoleptic, nutritional and sensory characteristics. Most of the technologies have also shown the great advantage to have a lower energy consumption and shorter production times. In contrast, not all the methods are in the same development stage; thus, we suggest further investigations to develop one (or more) hurdle-like non-thermal method able to meet both food production requirements and the modern consumers’ demand.
Highlights
Fish were first vertebrates to appear on Earth, more than 500 million years ago and they can be considered the oldest, simplest and most abundant living vertebrates, in terms of number of species and populations
The present review aims to describe the primary mechanisms of some of these innovative methods applied to preserve quality and safety of fish products; namely, non-thermal atmospheric plasma (NTAP), pulsed electric fields (PEF), pulsed light (PL), ultrasounds (US) and electrolyzed water (EW) are analysed, focusing on the main results of the studies published over the last 10 years
Its application as a minimal processing method to preserve the quality of fish products is recommendable, since it offers very important advantages for food industries, namely, (1) it allows short processing times; (2) it is effective at low temperatures; (3) it is non-toxic; (4) its application reduces the consumption of water and chemical agents
Summary
Fish were first vertebrates to appear on Earth, more than 500 million years ago and they can be considered the oldest, simplest and most abundant living vertebrates, in terms of number of species and populations. Some species are used to produce protein supplements for human and animal consumption (fishmeal) or into the preparation of food products such as margarine, cosmetics, paints or even fertilizers, but most of them are appreciated for their meats and are a consistent part of the diet of the human being Due to their composition, fish products play a key role in a healthy diet for different reasons [2]. The methods used to extend the shelf-life of fish products include fermentation, smoking, salting and marinating, or thermal treatments such as chilling, refrigeration, freezing, drying, boiling, steaming, etc All these techniques are associated with undesirable changes, from a reduced nutritional value to worsened sensory attributes, which fight against the increasing demand of consumers for minimally processed foods with high quality. After a description of the main mechanisms involved in fish spoilage, each innovative approach is addressed focusing on its limits and benefits, in order to provide a global overview about these promising emerging technologies and to facilitate their greater use at industrial level
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