Effect of Nanocomposite Clay/low-density Polyethylene Film on the Quality of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Fillets Stored with Four Different Packaging Conditions

ABSTRACT

To improve the quality and increase the shelf life of rainbow trout fillets, nanocomposite clay/low-density polyethylene films were used during 25 days of refrigerated storage (4 °C). Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films with 5 wt% clay nanoparticles (sodium montmorillonite, MMT) were used for packaging of rainbow trout fillets using 4 different packaging conditions (modified atmosphere packaging (MAP): 60 N₂, 35 CO₂, and 5% O₂; vacuum packaging (VP); air packaging (AP); and control). Fish samples were analyzed on the first day and every 5 days to determine the extent of microbial deterioration, chemical changes, and sensory properties. Based on obtained results, the shelf life of rainbow trout fillets was determined as ~10 days for the control group, and 15, 20, and 25 days for the AP, VP, and MAP packages, respectively.

KEYWORDS:

• Clay nanoparticle
• fish quality
• LDPE films
• Oncorhynchus mykiss
• rainbow trout
• sodium montmorillonite

Acknowledgments

Special gratitude for the experts at the Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute, and employees of the National Fish Product Research Centre, Anzali, Iran. We sincerely thank Prof. Joe M. Regenstein, from the Department of Food Sciences, Cornell University, USA for their critically reading of the manuscript and for making a number of helpful suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.