The PH of the Seafood Meat: A Problem that Deserves to be Clarified

Abstract

In recent years, the General Inspection Coordination (CGI) of the Department of Animal Products Inspection (DIPOA) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA) in Brazil has intensified the fight against seafood economic fraud. Thousands of tons of imported seafood are being seized and the violation notice is immediately drawn up because they are in disagreement with Article 443, Item 2 of the Regulation of the Industrial and Sanitary Inspection of Products of Animal Origin-RIISPOA (The physical and chemical determinations for characterization of fresh fish are: pH of external meat <6.8 and the internal <6.5 in fish). Some seafood containers are being seized or returned and unfortunately, others are being incinerated, because they are, according to CGI/DIPOA/MAPA, unfit for consumption. Faced with this unfortunate situation, the pH parameter is causing of controversial in the academic, business and inspection sectors. It is already recognized internationally that pH variation in seafood meat can only indicate that there some changes (biochemical or microbiological) arise, however, did not be treated as a single parameter to judge seafood quality or even consider it as unfit for consumption. It is already known that seafood is a perishable raw material, its shelf life, and integrity during storage under refrigeration conditions (cooling or freezing) and transport (under the same conditions) is influenced by enzymatic and microbiological changes. Thus, appropriate techniques to maintain its quality and freshness are necessary. The speed with which each of these changes develops depends on how the basic principles of conservation, hygiene, maintenance of the cold chain, as well as the species captured and the methods of capture were applied.