Evaluation of shelf life of live and gutted fish treated with a shallot extract

Abstract

This study was carried out to evaluate the quality of whole gutted fresh rainbow trout via two methods: the immersion of whole gutted rainbow trout in a shallot extract and the immersion of live fish in a shallot extract before being gutted and vacuum packed and stored at 4±1C. The control and the treated fish samples were periodically analyzed for microbiological (total viable count, psychrotrophic count, Enterobacteriaceae), chemical (peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid) and sensory characteristics. The results indicated that immersion of fish in shallot extract increased shelf life of fish stored at refrigeration temperatures. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Shallot extract is a natural antioxidant. It can improve the quality of food products during refrigerated storage because of the presence of sulfur-containing compounds and polyphenolic derivatives in its composition. Shallot extract promotes health by preventing lipid oxidation, and has been shown to possess antibacterial characteristics. In the food industry, it can be used as alternatives to the synthetic antioxidants because the use of these types of antioxidants is controlled because of concern for their carcinogenic potential. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.