Rapid and nondestructive determination of qualities in vacuum‐packaged catfish (Clarias leather) fillets during slurry ice storage

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of different site and vacuum package on catfish quality during slurry ice storage and feasibility of rapid detection of fillet quality using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRs). The results showed the nutrients content of fillet had significant difference (p < .05) between front and rear mid-line site in catfish (using the ventral back end as the mid-line). After 30 days slurry ice storage, drop loss and ΔΕ significantly increased to 6.04% and 5.92, respectively. Total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), thiobarbituric acid (TBA), pH, and total viable count (TVC) of fillet were over acceptable limit for fish at day 30. The accuracy (R2) for TVB-N, TBA, drip loss, L*, ΔE, and whiteness detection by partial least squares regression (PLSR) models was 0.86–0.90 and residual predictive deviation (RPD) was 2.66–3.19, indicating that NIRs technology combined with PLSR calibration analysis had great capability for qualitative and quantitative of catfish freshness. Practical applications The development of rapid freshness detection method is important to meet the requirements of quality evaluation and grading of fish products. In this study, using chemometrics method to fit infrared spectra data with freshness of catfish, the optimal infrared quantitative prediction model of catfish fillets could be established to evaluated freshness of catfish, which will provide a simple, rapid, viable, and not destructive method for freshness determination in the process of production and circulation.