Abstract
This research was to extend the shelf-life of fresh Atlantic salmon fillets when packaged in bulk food service modified atmosphere packaging trays with low gas to product volume ratios. When head-on-gutted Atlantic salmon were washed in Neutral electrolyzed water sanitizer prior to filleting, the microbial load on the skin of HOGs treated at 20 ppm and 100 ppm chlorine equivalents decreased by 3.5 log CFU/cm2 down to 2.0 and 1.5 log CFU/cm2, respectively. Further trials washed the HOGs with 100 ppm of NEW before filleting. They were then packed in a different product gas to product (G/P) volume ratios (0.4:1, 1:1 and 2:1) and stored at 0°C or 4°C up to 20 days. The combinations of sanitation pre-processing and high G/P ratio were most effective for controlling the microbial count to 4.5 log CFU/g when stored at 0°C compared to a microbial count of 7.2 log CFU/g for the unwashed fillets after 20 days under 4°C storage. Other variable combinations were between these levels. A combination of improved pre-processing sanitation and a low temperature can therefore raise the hurdles for microbial growth to extend the shelf-life of bulk packed fresh salmon fillets packed at high volumetric densities for storage and shipping efficiency.
Highlights
The used of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) to prolong the shelf-life of seafood products is widely used due to its effectiveness in inhibiting microbial growth and oxidative reactions
When head-on-gutted Atlantic salmon were washed in Neutral electrolyzed water sanitizer prior to filleting, the microbial load on the skin of head-on gutted (HOG) treated at 20 ppm and 100 ppm chlorine equivalents decreased by 3.5 log CFU/cm2 down to 2.0 and 1.5 log CFU/cm2, respectively
Impact of sanitation concentration on microbial load of HOG Atlantic salmon When the HOGs were washed after pre-processing storage there was a significant difference (p
Summary
The used of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) to prolong the shelf-life of seafood products is widely used due to its effectiveness in inhibiting microbial growth and oxidative reactions. The efficacy of MAP for extending shelf-life is influenced by the microbial level of the raw material, the temperatures during processing and storage, and the resulting concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2); nitrogen (N2)) and oxygen (O2) in the headspace of the pack [1]. Most research on the use of MAP for salmon products has focused on a combination of CO2 and N2 [2,3,4] or just using CO2 [5]. The gas to product (G/P) volumetric ratio is one of the main factors for MAP to be effective. Bulk trays have a high packing density compared to retail MAP packs and can only achieve a low G/P ratio.
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