Quality evaluation and shelf life of minimal ozone-treated Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) stored on ice

• Published in: Journal für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 49 - 57
• Main Author: Okpala, Charles Odilichukwu R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel Springer Basel 01.03.2015
• Subjects: acidity; Agriculture; antioxidants; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Chemistry/Food Science; color; Food Science; food storage; GRAS substances; ice; Life Sciences; Litopenaeus vannamei; most probable number technique; ozonation; ozone; peroxide value; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Research Article; seafoods; shelf life; shrimp; total volatile basic nitrogen; Iced storage; Shelf life; Consumer protection; Food safety; Minimal ozone treatment; Quality characteristics
• ISSN: 1661-5751; 1661-5867
• DOI: 10.1007/s00003-014-0904-x

Ozone treatment, declared ‘Generally Recognised As Safe’ three-decades-ago and shown to reduce microbial numbers and extend shelf life of seafood products, is still under investigation. Health regulatory standards have stipulated to makers of ozone generating facilities to establish optimum quantities of zone discharge that would produce significant effects. To our knowledge, no investigation regarding the quality characteristics of shrimp subject to minimal ozone treatment shortly after harvest and stored on ice has been carried out so far. For that reason, the present study evaluates some quality characteristics and the shelf life of Pacific white shrimp ( L. vannamei ) subject to minimal ozone treatment (ozone discharge: 100 mg/h; wash time: 1 min) shortly after harvest and then stored on ice. The quality indices were examined in terms of microbiological and chemical characteristics to estimate the shelf life. By average, the shelf life of minimal ozone-treated shrimp was estimated to extend by ~1.75 days based on acceptable limits cumulative of total viable count (TVC), trimethylamine-nitrogen (TMA-N), total volatile basic-nitrogen (TVB-N) and peroxide value (PV). There were obvious differences in acidity, total colour difference (TCD), correlations and temporal rates of TMA-N and TVB-N as well as PV and p -anisidine (AnV) between minimal ozone-treated and untreated shrimp (P < 0.05). Acting like an antioxidant minimal ozone treatment could reduce the TMAN, TVB-N, PV and AnV of Pacific white shrimp. The results provided by this study indicated that the minimal ozone treatment combined with iced storage could influence some quality parameters and extend the shelf life of Pacific white shrimp.