The Effects of Sodium Alginate on Quality of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Fillets Stored at 4 ± 2°C

Abstract

Edible coating is a novel food packaging technology for controlling the growth of spoilage bacteria and chemical changes in ready-to-eat food products. Fresh fish are highly perishable foodstuffs and are very susceptible to spoilage. A sodium alginate coating was used to maintain the quality of rainbow trout fillets in chilled storage over a period of 20 days. Fillet samples were coated with an aqueous solution of 3% sodium alginate and then stored at chilled temperature (4 ± 2°C). The control and coated samples were analyzed periodically (every 5 days) for microbial (aerobic plate count and psychrotrophic count), chemical (total volatile basic nitrogen, thiobarbituric acid, peroxide value), and sensory characteristics. The results indicated that the sodium alginate coating helped protect the quality characteristics of treated fresh fish fillets and prolonged the shelf life during chilled storage of rainbow trout fillets.

Keywords:

• sodium alginate
• rainbow trout
• chilled storage
• shelf life

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Professor Joe M. Regenstein for editing.