RESUMO
The effect of gutting on sensory, microbiological, and chemical properties of European hake (Merluccius merluccius var. mediterraneus) stored in ice was studied. Gutting of hake noticeably affected the development of gram-negative bacteria: counts of Enterobacteriaceae, Shewanella putrefaciens, and Pseudomonas throughout ice storage were higher in gutted than in ungutted samples. These differences in microbial loads were also reflected in the lower sensory scores of both raw and cooked hake, in the quicker trimethylamine accumulation, and in the higher contents of putrescine, cadaverine, tyramine, and histamine found in gutted hake. All of the fish quality indicators studied showed that gutting made hake more susceptible to spoilage during ice storage and decreased its shelf life by 4 days.
Assuntos
Aminas Biogênicas/análise , Manipulação de Alimentos/métodos , Conservação de Alimentos/métodos , Gadiformes/microbiologia , Alimentos Marinhos/microbiologia , Animais , Contagem de Colônia Microbiana , Comportamento do Consumidor , Qualidade de Produtos para o Consumidor , Enterobacteriaceae/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Contaminação de Alimentos/análise , Contaminação de Alimentos/prevenção & controle , Humanos , Gelo , Pseudomonas/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Shewanella putrefaciens/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Paladar , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Fresh Mediterranean hake (Merluccius merluccius var. mediterraneus), a species mainly caught off the shores of Spain, was stored at usual temperatures: in ice (commercial chain) and under refrigeration (home). Sensory and chemical analyses were performed throughout the storage time to determine the changes that took place and evaluate the effect of the storage temperature. Storage in ice resulted in a slight accumulation of volatile and biogenic amines in hake. When it was stored at 6-8 degrees C, a significant production of both trimethylamine and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) was observed, and biogenic amines were formed. Sensory analysis revealed that hake stored in ice was inedible after 29 days, the figure for refrigerated hake being 20 days. There was a nonsignificant correlation (p > 0.05) between TVB-N values and sensory score in hake stored at 0 degrees C. In all other cases, a significant correlation (p < 0.001) between volatile parameters and sensory analysis was found.