Chemical and Sensory Changes Associated with Microbial Flora of Mediterranean Boque ( Boops boops ) Stored Aerobically at 0, 3, 7, and 10°C

Abstract

The development of a microbial population and changes in the physicochemical and sensorial characteristics of Mediterranean boque (Boops boops), called gopa in Greece, stored aerobically at 0, 3, 7, and 10°C were studied. Pseudomonads andShewanella putrefaciens were the dominant bacteria at the end of the storage period, regardless of the temperature tested. Enterobacteria and Brochothrix thermosphacta also grew, but their population density was always 2 to 3 log10CFU g−1 less than that of pseudomonads. The concentration of potential indicators of spoilage, glucose and lactic acid, decreased while that of the α-amino groups increased during storage. The concentrations of these carbon sources also decreased on sterile fish blocks inoculated with strains isolated from fish microbial flora. The organic acid profile of sterile fish blocks inoculated with the above-mentioned bacteria and that of naturally spoiled fish differed significantly. An excellent correlation (r = −0.96) between log10 counts of S. putrefaciensor Pseudomonas bacteria with freshness was observed in this study.

Sensory, chemical and microbiological assessment of farm‐raised European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) stored in melting ice

“…Thus, the value of TVB measurements was limited by the fact that when significant amounts of these compounds had been produced, the fish was already in an incipient stage of spoilage. Similar TVB and TMA values have been reported for a number of Mediterranean fish species including gilthead sea bream (Kyrana et al, 1997;Koutsoumanis & Nychas, 2000), common pandora, bogue, and saddled sea bream (Civera et al, 1995;Koutsoumanis & Nychas, 1999). A TVB level of about 25 mg N (100 g) -1 flesh could be regarded as the limit of acceptability for iced European sea bass.…”

“…The relatively low numbers of sulphide producers (4.5 · 10 4 CFU g -1 ) encountered on day 15, when the fish had already begun to spoil according to sensory evaluation, suggested that organisms other than S. putrefaciens had been involved in the spoilage of sea bass in this trial. Koutsoumanis & Nychas (1999 identified Pseudomonas spp. as the dominant bacterial species in freshly harvested and spoiling Mediterranean fish stored aerobically at 0-15°C and based their microbial model for rapid shelf-life predictions on pseudomonad growth.…”

Predictive models for bacterial growth in sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) stored in ice

“…The counts of P. phosphoreum were similar to those found in bogue fish stored aerobically, whereas the contribution of P. phosphoreum was very small and relatively unimportant (Koutsoumanis & Nychas, 1999).…”

Diversity of Shewanella population in fish Sparus aurata harvested in the Aegean Sea

“…and Shewanella spp. were found to be the SSO in fish from Mediterranean Sea (temperate waters) stored aerobically in ice (Koutsoumanis and Nychas 1999;Tryfinopoulou et al 2002).…”

“…Indeed, Shewanella putrefaciens, Pseudomonas spp., Photobacterium phosphoreum, Brochothrix thermosphacta, Aeromonas spp. and lactic acid bacteria are not only members of the microbial association found in fish from temperate waters (Koutsoumanis and Nychas 1999;Dalgaard 2000), but they also contribute significantly to the spoilage of fish stored under different conditions. However, not all these bacteria contribute at the same extend to fish spoilage.…”