Shelf life of thawed cod fillets kept in ice

Abstract

Fillets of cod (Gadus morhua) were vacuum packed, frozen in an air-blast freezer and stored at −28°C. After 1 week, 3, 6 and 12 months, samples were thawed and stored in ice. Fresh fillets from the same batch were taken for reference and iced immediately. Organoleptic tests showed an extension of shelf life for the thawed fish of 2 days (1 week frozen storage) to 3–4 days (3 to 12 months storage) compared to the fresh fillets. The increase of pH, total volatile bases, trimethylamine and volatile acids was significantly retarded in the thawed fish. Relationships of these last three determinations with sensory assessment, however, were poor.