Chemical, sensory and shelf life evaluation of sliced salmon treated with salts of organic acids

This study was carried out to evaluate the shelf life, chemical quality and sensory attributes of salmon slices treated by dipping in 2.5% aqueous solution of sodium acetate (NaA), sodium lactate (NaL), or sodium citrate (NaC) during refrigerated storage at 1 °C. The chemical analyses demonstrated significant reduction in K value, hypoxanthine (Hx) concentration, total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), and trimethylamine (TMA) in treated salmon slices when compared with the control. Sensory scores of treated salmon were in a typical category for appearance, juiciness and tenderness compared with the control. Only minor changes in the sensory attributes were recognized by few panellists in NaA- and NaL-treated samples. A shelf life of 12, 12 and 15 days has been estimated for salmon treated with NaL, NaC, and NaA, respectively, versus 8 days for control. The salts of organic acids can therefore be used as safe preservatives for fish under refrigerated storage. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.