Effects of Chilled Storage,Freezing Rates,and Frozen Storage Temperature on Lipid Oxidation in Meat Blocks from Cultured Bluefin Tuna Thunnus thynnus

ABSTRACT

The effects of a short chilled storage period before freezing, frozen storage temperature, and freezing rate on lipid oxidation of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) meat during frozen storage were investigated. After 12-months storage, all samples had increased in peroxide value though they were less at the lower temperatures (?45 and ?60°C). Peroxide values in all samples stored at ?20°C increased after 3 months storage, particularly those processed and stored 51 h after harvest. The lowest increase in peroxide value occurred in the samples frozen rapidly 3 h after harvest. Vitamin E levels decreased faster during frozen storage at ?20°C. There were no apparent differences in levels of triacylglycerides nor in n-3 fatty acid levels between treatments, storage periods, and storage temperatures. After 12-months storage, headspace oxidative volatiles were highest in samples stored at ?20°C and lowest in those stored at ?60°C. Lipid oxidation in tuna meat stored at ?45°C is similar to that at ?60°C, and rapid freezing rather than slow freezing should be used.     

Changes During Chilled Storage of Whole Tilapia and Short-Term Frozen Storage of Tilapia Fillets

This study evaluated the physicochemical changes in Nile tilapia (n = 82, 373.71 ± 61.91 g) refrigerated for up to 92 h and in the frozen fillets. The tilapias were captured with nets, slaughtered by ice and water shock (1:1) in a temperature of approximately 2°C for 30 min, and stored refrigerated at 4°C in polystyrene boxes containing ice. The fish were filleted, and filets were weighed and frozen. The drip loss and protein were determined after 23 days of frozen storage. After 4 h of storage, all fish were in full rigor mortis. The pH of the muscles decreased for up to 45 h of the storage period. The fillets obtained from tilapia stored for more than 72 h lost more weight and protein. Thus, the filleting or processing of tilapia should be done before 72 h of cold storage, since deterioration of the fish starts to occur after this period.     

Preslaughter stress and subsequent effect on flesh quality in farmed cod

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prehandling stress on the flesh quality of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua). In order to stress the animal, water was reduced in the tank before a total of 30 fish were caught five at a time using a dipnet and held for 3 min, causing stress by hypoxia. This fish was compared with a control group (n=30) of fish exposed to anaesthetics directly in the tank. All fish were killed by a percussive blow to the head and exsanguinated and stored on ice before flesh quality was measured. Immediately after death and after ice storage for 3 and 8 days, 10 fish per group were measured for muscle pH, texture, fillet gaping, colour, drip loss and cathepsin D. Handling stress resulted in an initial increased fillet lightness, drip loss and decreased fillet shear force, although these differences did level off during ice storage. Stress caused by handling resulted in earlier onset of rigour mortis as compared with the control group, which reached maximum rigour tensions within 26 and 36 h postmortem respectively. We conclude that handling before harvest results in reduced time before entering rigour. After 8 days of ice storage, no effect of handling stress was seen on the muscle pH, flesh colour, fillet shear force, gaping score, drip loss or cathepsin D activity.     

Interactions between ice storage time, collagen composition, gaping and textural properties in farmed salmon muscle harvested at different times of the year

Atlantic salmon were sampled in June, September and February of the consecutive year and were stored on ice for up to 14 days in order to test the effect of harvest time and subsequent ice storage on meat quality. Texture and gaping frequency were analysed and were related to colour, protein degradation, collagen solubility, collagen types and final pH as well as lipid oxidation in the fillets to test possible interactions between harvest time and quality degradation during storage. In February, the connective tissue contained more soluble collagen and less insoluble collagen, as well as more of both types I and V collagen, than in the samples collected in June. During ice storage, fish became softer with a concomitant increase in the number of fish displaying very high gaping. pH increased during ice storage and fillet colour became lighter and redder, while yellowness changed in the fattier fillets upon ice storage. Ice storage resulted in changes in pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC) depending on harvest time as did both types I and V collagen. The softer the fish, the higher the gaping score and the more insoluble collagen, the less gaping occurred.     

The effects of stress and storage temperature on the colour and texture of pre-rigor filleted farmed cod (Gadus morhua L.)

This experiment deals with the effects of pre‐slaughter stress and storage temperature on muscle pH, fillet contraction, colour and texture in pre‐rigor filleted farmed cod fillets. The fish were either sedated with a low dose of MS‐222 (14.3 mg L^?1) (unstressed groups) or exposed to the air for 3 min (stressed groups) before being submerged in a benzocaine bath (150 g L^?1). The fish were then killed by a blow to the head, their gills cut, filleted and finally stored at either 4 or 20°C. The stressed groups had significantly lower pH values after slaughter (pH=7.0) than the unstressed groups (pH=7.3). This difference was maintained until post rigor for the fish stored at 4°C, but at 20°C it was immediately overshadowed by a decrease in pH caused by temperature‐dependent processes. The length contraction and changes in registered colour values were more pronounced at both the higher temperature and the higher level of pre‐slaughter stress. Again temperature dominated, but significant and consistent effects were registered from stress. No significant effects of stress on texture post rigor were observed. It is concluded that high storage temperature masks the majority of effects caused by pre‐slaughter stress on the measured variables. Stress management protocols, however, are important when the fillets are kept at the common storage temperature of 4°C.     

Shelf-Life of Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson) from Northern Australian Waters

Abstract

The shelf-life of Spanish mackerel caught by line fishing in Northern Australian waters was evaluated. Spiked fish were stored in ice either headed and gutted or left uncut and subjected to sensory, nucleotide, pH, histamine and microbial analysts and the rigor pattern recorded. There was little difference between the two product forms. Rigor in uncut fish lasted for 14 ± 9.8 hours and in headed and gutted fish for 19.6 ± 16.3 hours. Spanish mackerel retained good sensory quality for up to 14 days. The bacterial load reached 105 cfu/g by 18 days. K values were low for most of the storage time, < 40%. Histamine levels did not develop more than 10 mg/kg during storage. The pH of Spanish mackerel did not change much even though bacterial levels become high.     

Influence of time,storage temperature and freeze/thaw cycles on the activity of digestive enzymes from gilthead sea bream (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sparus aurata</Emphasis>)

In this study, we tested the effects of long-term storage (2 years) at ?20 °C and short-term storage (several hours) in ice and freeze/thaw cycles on the activities of pancreatic, gastric and intestinal (brush border and cytosolic) digestive enzymes in a teleost fish species. The results revealed a significant lose in activity of pancreatic (trypsin, chymotrypsin, total alkaline proteases and α-amylase) and intestinal cytosolic (leucine–alanine peptidase) enzymes between 140 and 270 days of storage at ?20 °C, whereas in contrast, the activity of all the assayed brush border enzymes remained constant during the first 2 years of storage at ?20 °C. During short-term storage conditions, the most stable enzymes assayed were those of the enterocytes of the brush border, which did not show any change in activity after being held for 5 h in ice. Five freezing and thawing cycles did not affect the activity of the intestinal brush border enzymes and the cytosolic ones, whereas the activity of trypsin, α-amylase and bile-salt-activated lipase was significantly affected by the number of freezing and thawing cycles. No changes in pepsin activity were found in samples exposed to 1 and 2 freezing and thawing cycles.     

Effect of electrical stunning at slaughter on the carcass, flesh and eating quality of farmed sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

Food quality aspects of farmed sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) were compared following two methods of slaughter: the normal commercial method of killing, by immersion in an ice slurry, or by first electrically stunning the fish, before immersion in an ice slurry. Quality was assessed for up to 10 days of storage on ice after slaughter. No differences were found between the slaughter methods in terms of an overall sensory evaluation of cooked fillets, or in terms of overall carcass quality: overall appearance, internal and external haemorrhage, fin damage, burst gall bladder, staining of the body cavity by leakage from the gut or damage to the spine. Using objective measurements of colour, no differences between fish from either treatment were found in terms of external colour or colour of the fillets. A chemical analysis of flesh nucleotide breakdown products as well as the freshness indicator K_i value did not differentiate the two treatments nor did the industry standard freshness scoring technique (QIM, quality index method), over 10 days of storage on ice. Flesh pH was marginally lower in electrically stunned fish at 4 h post mortem (6.42 cf 6.56) but by 24 h, pH in fish from both treatments had decreased to a similar level (6.22). Humane electrical stunning of sea bass at slaughter neither measurably improved nor decreased product quality for between 1 and 10 days of storage on ice. Electrical stunning accelerated the pattern of onset and resolution of rigor mortis. If electrical stunning were to be widely adopted, re‐education of buyers would be necessary as rigor mortis is currently used by buyers as a proxy measure of fish freshness.     

Histamine and Histidine in New Zealand Marine Fish and Shellfish Species,Particularly Kahawai (Arripis trutta)

Forty-seven retail samples of fish (28 species) were tested for levels of free histidine, histamine and aerobic plate counts. Five samples had elevated levels (≥ 20 mg/100 g) of histamine and all had < 100 mg/100 g. Three species had free histidine levels of more than 1000 mg/l00 g and these have been implicated in scombroid poisoning in New Zealand. One species with high histidine levels, kahawai (Arripis trutta), was chosen to determine the conditions under which potentially hazardous levels of histamine might develop. Two trials were carried out in which kahawai were stored under 17 regimes at temperatures between 0 and 35°C. For 10 of these treatments the fish were transferred from elevated storage temperatures to refrigerated storage during the trials. Levels of histidine and histamine, aerobic plate counts at 20°C and 35°C and sensory quality were monitored. The levels of free histidine in kahawai varied with season, and in Trial 2 there was a net loss of histidine + histamine during storage. Bleeding kahawai did not significantly affect the levels of histidine. Histamine levels varied greatly in fish held under identical conditions. Fish held at ambient temperatures developed the highest levels of histamine. Elevated histamine levels (> 20 mg/100 g) were first recorded in fish stored for 0.9, 0.9, 1, 2, 2.7, and 8 days at 35, 30, 25, 20, 15 and 10°C respectively. Storage at 5°C after storage at higher temperatures did not result in elevated levels. Of the 59 samples with elevated histamine levels, 9 had acceptable sensory characteristics while all had aerobic plate counts exceeding 10⁶ colony-forming units/g. Aerobic plate counts at 20°C are recommended over those at 35°C. It is concluded that fresh kahawai will only present a hazard from scombroid poisoning under conditions of extreme temperature abuse and that the presence of high numbers of bacteria is a good indicator of the hazard while sensory quality is not.     

Gaping and loss of fillet firmness in farmed salmon (Salmo salar L.) closely correlated with post‐slaughter cleaning of the abdominal cavity

This study analysed the effect of cleaning intensity of the abdominal cavity and storage temperature from slaughter to the end of processing on the quality of farmed salmon (Salmo salar L.) fillets. These two parameters were manipulated in an experimental setup using in total thirty salmon with an average weight of 4.2 kg. The experiment was designed to imitate realistic scenarios in a normal production process in the Faroe Islands. The salmon stored at low temperatures had an average muscle temperature of 4.65°C, whereas the salmon stored at ambient temperature had an average muscle temperature of 11.27°C. After the salmon were gutted to remove all viscera except the kidney, the abdominal cavity was either rinsed lightly or meticulously cleansed of kidneys, all blood and bodily fluids. A wide range of quality and production parameters were measured either straight after cleaning or after the salmon had been stored in chipped ice at 1.5°C for 7 days. All measured parameters were analysed for possible correlations by principal component analysis (PCA). Blood and remains left in the abdominal cavity were shown to have a significant negative effect on fillet firmness (P < 0.01) and gaping (P < 0.01). The different storage temperatures between slaughter and gutting, tested in this experiment, did not significantly affect fillet firmness or gaping. However, the fillet colour showed significant negative correlation (P < 0.01) with the storage temperatures applied.     

Effects of Freezing and Frozen Storage on Protein Functionality and Texture of Some Cephalopod Muscles

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of freezing and frozen storage on protein functionality and texture of squid (Loligo vulgaris), octopus (Octopus vulgaris), and cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) muscles. Squid, octopus, and cuttlefish samples were cut into pieces of 4 × 4 cm. These pieces were packed in polyethylene bags. The bags were frozen in a blast freezer at ?45°C until the thermal center reached ?18°C. Frozen samples were stored in a deep freezer at ?18°C for 30 days. After freezing and during frozen storage, total soluble protein and water holding capacity decreased and total free amino acid and cooking loss increased in all cephalopod muscles. According to instrumental texture analysis results, freezing and frozen storage affected textural characteristics of squid and cuttlefish but not of octopus. Sensory hardness and chewiness values of all cephalopods increased after freezing, but elasticity values did not change. There were no significant differences between storage days in hardness values of squid and octopus. However, significant differences in hardness values of cuttlefish were observed between the 1st day of storage and the last day.     

Electrical stunning of farmed Atlantic cod Gadus morhua L.: a comparison of an industrial and experimental method

An industrial and experimental electrical method for stunning farmed Atlantic cod in air and seawater (SW), respectively, were compared. The impacts of sedation with AQUI‐S^? and exercise to exhaustion before electrical stunning were also assessed to monitor the possible depletion of rested muscle energy levels by electrical stunning. Stress (blood glucose, haematocrit, muscle pH, muscle excitability, high‐energy phosphates and rigor mortis) and flesh quality (fillet texture, colour, liquid leakage (LL), gaping, residual blood and K‐value) were assessed. For the industrial stunning method, an average of 41 V, 0.2 A dc was applied to individual cod for 18–27 s. For the SW method, a bipolar square wave current (170 Hz, 33% duty cycle) was applied for 5 s. After stunning, recovery was prevented by exsanguination in chilled SW. There were no differences (P>0.05) between the two stunning methods except for a higher ultimate fillet pH for cod stunned in air 8 days postmortem. Exercise before stunning depleted muscle energy levels at slaughter, increased LL and fillets had redder and darker flesh after storage on ice for 8 days. Electrical stunning (in air) of AQUI‐S^?‐treated fish partly depleted muscle energy levels (pH 7.3, ATP 18.7 μmol g^?1, PCr 70.1 μmol g^?1). However, flesh quality was not affected. Unless pre‐rigor filleting is the chosen processing strategy, electrical stunning of cod seems to be a promising stunning method.     

Comparison of Postmortem Changes in Blunt-Snout Bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) During Short-Term Storage at Chilled and Partial Freezing Temperatures

In order to obtain more information about the consumption and process of blunt-snout bream, this study investigated postmortem changes of pH, cooking loss, texture properties (hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, and gumminess), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-related compounds in blunt-snout bream during short-term storage at 4 and ?3°C. The pH value declined quickly within 12 h postmortem, and those samples stored at ?3°C were lower than 4°C. High values of cooking loss occurred within 2–4 h postmortem, with maximum values of 20.94% (4°C) and 27.64% (?3°C), respectively. The cooking loss rapidly decreased to 13.59% (4°C) and 17.62% (?3°C) at 8 h postmortem, respectively. Texture properties (hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, and gumminess) decreased with storage time at both temperatures. Fish stored at ?3°C had a higher level of inosine monophosphate (IMP) compared with 4°C and was more than 15 μmol g^?1 during 8–24 h postmortem. The overall results indicated that it is better to preserve blunt-snout bream at ?3°C for short-term storage and utilize the fish within 8–24 h postmortem.     

Pre-rigor filleting and drip loss from fillets of farmed Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.)

Improved slaughtering procedures of farmed fish may provide sufficient time so that filleting can be performed pre‐rigor while the muscle pH is still high. Such filleting not only reduces fillet gaping but also lowers the transportation costs and makes fresh fillets available to the markets at an earlier stage. The aim of our work was to determine the weight reduction of the fillets due to liquid loss and to study the proteins and enzymes in the drip. After 11 days of cold storage, fillets of farmed Atlantic cod produced pre‐rigor had a weight loss of 10% and a fillet contraction of 19% while for fillets produced post‐rigor the values were 5% and 4% respectively. At the same time, approximately twice the amount of proteins had been lost from the pre‐rigor‐produced fillets. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis showed that the proteins in the drip were similar to the sarcoplasmatic proteins extracted from the muscle. Specific analysis of proteolytic enzymes indicated that they are less stable in the expelled liquid than in the flesh during storage. The extensive loss of weight and proteins from pre‐rigor‐produced fillets during subsequent storage must be taken into account if such processing is considered for farmed cod.     

Application of supercooling to long-term storage of fish meat

Fish meat was brought to a supercooled state through slow cooling, and changes in the texture, histology, and protein composition of the meat were investigated. The groups whose storage temperature were lowered by 1.0°C per day (the 1.0°C group) and 0.5°C per day (the 0.5°C group) began to freeze in the vicinity of −3.5 and −5.0°C, respectively. The freezing point depended on the fish species; the lowest freezing point was −8.5°C, for the red sea bream in the 1.0°C group. The breaking strength tended to decrease more slowly in the 1.0°C group, but the collagen fibers collapsed more rapidly in the 1.0°C group. In SDS electrophoresis, a slight change in the banding patterns was observed, but the relationship between this observation and changes in histology and physical properties was unclear. This study shows that it is possible to produce a supercooled state in fish meat, and demonstrates that supercooling is a potential new storage method that lowers the temperature without generating ice crystals.     

Induced resistance in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), to gill disease associated with the microsporidian gill parasite Loma salmonae

Branchial xenomas were detected by week 5 and disappeared by week 10 after naive juvenile rainbow trout, held at 14.5 °C, were fed or intubated with Loma salmonae ‐infected gill tissue preparations. Upon re‐challenge with L. salmonae , these fish were protected from disease and branchial xenomas did not develop. Branchial xenomas were never detected in naive fish held at 10 °C and exposed to L. salmonae . When these fish were re‐challenged with L. salmonae at 14.5 °C, they were also protected from the disease. Branchial xenomas also developed after naive fish, held at 14.5 °C, were injected intraperitoneally with a semipurified preparation of fresh spores, but generally did not develop after intraperitoneal injection with a preparation of spores subjected to freezing and thawing before use. Fish that had received fresh spores intraperitoneally were completely resistant to disease when re‐challenged via oral delivery of spores, whereas those that had received frozen spores were incompletely, but significantly, protected from disease compared with naive fish. We conclude that infection with L. salmonae induces strong protection towards the disease upon re‐exposure to spores, and that the protection does not depend on the completion of the parasite's life cycle, thus establishing the basis for further research on vaccine development for this disease.     

Quality of Atlantic Cod Frozen in Cell Alive System,Air-Blast,and Cold Storage Freezers

ABSTRACT

Gutted Atlantic cod, packed in cartons, were frozen immediately after killing in a magnetic field (cell alive system). The results were compared with traditional air-blast freezing or by putting the cartons directly in a cold storage room (without forced convection of air). After frozen storage, external and fillet properties were compared. In spite of differences in freezing rates, only minor differences were found among treatments. The mechanism for the freezing of fish in the magnetic field, under the current conditions, appeared to be similar to that of traditional freezing methods.     

Relationships between water temperatures and upstream migration, cold water refuge use, and spawning of adult bull trout from the Lostine River, Oregon, USA

Howell PJ, Dunham JB, Sankovich PM. Relationships between water temperatures and upstream migration, cold water refuge use, and spawning of adult bull trout from the Lostine River, Oregon, USA.
Ecology of Freshwater Fish 2010: 19: 96–106. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA Abstract – Understanding thermal habitat use by migratory fish has been limited by difficulties in matching fish locations with water temperatures. To describe spatial and temporal patterns of thermal habitat use by migratory adult bull trout, Salvelinus confluentus, that spawn in the Lostine River, Oregon, we employed a combination of archival temperature tags, radio tags, and thermographs. We also compared temperatures of the tagged fish to ambient water temperatures to determine if the fish were using thermal refuges. The timing and temperatures at which fish moved upstream from overwintering areas to spawning locations varied considerably among individuals. The annual maximum 7‐day average daily maximum (7DADM) temperatures of tagged fish were 16–18 °C and potentially as high as 21 °C. Maximum 7DADM ambient water temperatures within the range of tagged fish during summer were 18–25 °C. However, there was no evidence of the tagged fish using localized cold water refuges. Tagged fish appeared to spawn at 7DADM temperatures of 7–14 °C. Maximum 7DADM temperatures of tagged fish and ambient temperatures at the onset of the spawning period in late August were 11–18 °C. Water temperatures in most of the upper Lostine River used for spawning and rearing appear to be largely natural since there has been little development, whereas downstream reaches used by migratory bull trout are heavily diverted for irrigation. Although the population effects of these temperatures are unknown, summer temperatures and the higher temperatures observed for spawning fish appear to be at or above the upper range of suitability reported for the species.     

Preservation of Tilapia (Oreochromis aureus) Fillet by Isochoric (Constant Volume) Freezing

ABSTRACT

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of isochoric freezing on the quality of tilapia fillet. Isochoric freezing was compared to chilling, super-chilling, and freezing. Isochoric freezing showed muscle color alterations similar to the other preservation methods. All preservation methods resulted in softer fillets, with the isochoric frozen fillet having the most similar texture to that of the fresh sample. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) for isochoric samples were similar to those of fresh samples. However, there was a 53%, 55%, and 34% increase in TBARS for chilled, super-chilled, and frozen samples, respectively. Total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content was 1.4 times higher for isochoric samples than for fresh samples. For chilled, super-chilled, and frozen samples, TVB-N content was 3.0, 1.9, and 1.3, respectively, times higher than for fresh samples. Microstructural analysis indicated that isochoric samples showed less cell damage compared to those using other methods. Subfreezing temperatures in conjunction with no ice formation during isochoric freezing contributed to improved quality of tilapia fillet. This study may find application in the commercial preservation of fish to increase shelf life and allow for expanded distribution of raw fish. This study might also be a potential solution to “food desert” areas, where residents have low access to fresh healthy foods.     

Effect of Phosphatidylcholine and Beta-Carotene Supplementation on Growth and Immune Response of Nile Tilapia,Oreochromis niloticus,in Cool Water

The effects of nutraceuticals in improving growth and immune response of Nile tilapia in cool water were investigated. Fish were reared in two different environments: warm water (28°C) and cool water (16°C). Fish reared in warm water (control) were provided with a basal commercial diet, while fish reared in cool water were provided with either the basal commercial diet (cool water control) or diets supplemented with nutraceuticals (either phosphatidylcholine or β-carotene). Experiments were conducted over an 8-week period. Fish held in warm water had significantly higher growth (p < 0.05), but condition factor, blood hematocrit, plasma glucose, and phagocytic capacity of macrophage cells were similar to fish held in cool water. Within the cool water groups (basal vs. supplemented diet), fish did not show any significant difference in condition factor, blood hematocrit, and phagocytic capacity of macrophage cells. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in glucose levels until the eighth week. Collectively these data indicate that a nutraceutical supplementation to the basal diet was not significantly beneficial. Despite slower growth, fish reared in cool water remained generally healthy. The observation that phagocytic capacity of macrophage cells was not significantly different suggests that disease resistance of tilapia grown in cool water may be comparable to those reared in warm water. Thus, our experiments suggest the feasibility of stocking or rearing tilapia in water temperatures as low as 16°C during cool weather, without need for supplementation to basal commercial feed.