The post-mortem rigid of farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) affects the texture of the meat and might even be risky for microorganisms, undermining the popularity of frozen filets among consumers. This study investigated the importance of different conditions (0°C, 4°C, and 25°C for 0–4 days) and physicochemical characteristics of rainbow trout filet storage on fish’s characteristics, freshness, quality, and shelf-life. Results showed that the fish easily underwent rigor mortis and resolution of rigor mortis when stored at 25°C. However, rigor mortis was more likely to occur under storage at 0°C than at 4°C [with 100 kV/m high voltage electrostatic fields (HVEF)] due to low-temperature stimulation, but resolution of rigor mortis began to appear after 24 h of storage at either temperature. The protein solubility and gel strength of fish stored at 25°C continued to decrease due to thermal denaturation, and those of fish stored at 4°C and 0°C also showed a decrease owing to rigor mortis and then an increase when rigor mortis disappeared. The K values increased rapidly at 25°C and reached 61% at 14 h. Under storage at 4°C and 0°C, the K values only slightly increased before resolution of rigor mortis. However, the K-values did not exceed 40% for 4 days post-resolution of rigor mortis. Differential Scanning Calorimetry analysis and tissue sectioning showed that protein denaturation and separation between muscle fibers persisted during storage at various temperatures, most notably at 25°C. It is important to note that storing at 0°C for 96 h did not result in any significant changes in the molecular protein composition. Moreover, the muscle tissue remained in excellent condition compared to storage at 25°C and 4°C. Additionally, there was no significant difference in the total viable count (TVC) and psychrophilic bacteria between storage at 0°C and 4°C, considered safe for food consumption. These promising findings are conveyed in a circular economy based on the food industry, particularly adequate raw materials, stable prices, measures to reduce food loss and waste, and contributing to developing efficient, diverse, and sustainable food processing systems.
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are currently consumed as live fish, primarily for catering or consumers, as an alternative to salmon in sashimi or dishes. However, Covid-19 has hampered store and restaurant operations. Therefore, developing suitable processing conditions to extend its shelf life, such as online distribution specifications while enhancing the filets’ commercial value, would raise its production value. In this study, we investigated the fish filets salted in a 5% salt solution for 2 days and then smoked at 65°C for 4 h under different storage conditions. As result, the higher rate of salt penetration and water loss in the resolved rigor mortis group was associated with tenderization of the meat compared to the rigor mortis group. Thermal-shrinkage and thermal-induced tissue destruction of the smoked fish filets during processing which affects the appearance, flavor, chewiness and overall acceptability. Nevertheless, according to the results of a consumer-type evaluation, the product characteristics of the fish filets from the resolution of rigor mortis group were consistent with those of the rigor mortis group, except for a weaker aroma. Thus, these results explain the relationship between frozen stored fish and the quality of processed products. The economic concept of regulating and distributing scheduling production between raw materials and finished products in the food industry conveys promising findings that will contribute to developing sustainable food processing systems.
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