Microbiological Changes, Shelf-Life and Nutritional Value of Ice-Stored Thicklip Grey Mullet (Chelon labrosus)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to monitor quality changes and estimate the shelf-life of the thicklip grey mullet (Chelon labrosus), a candidate species for the diversification of the world aquaculture production, during ice storage. Differences in shelf-life, microbial populations and TVB-N values were observed for fish caught in different months, but proximate composition did not differ between months. Based on sensory attributes, the shelf-life was 7 and 8 days for fish caught in October and December, respectively, when the APC was ca. 7.5–8.0 logs and Pseudomonas and/or H2S producing bacteria was 7.0–7.5 logs. TVB-N did not exceed 22 mg per 100 g throughout the storage. The moisture ranged from 73.7% to 78.3%, the protein content from 20.5% to 24.9%, the lipid content from 0.29% to 1.42% and the gross energy from 4.86 to 5.91 kJ g−1 of wet weight. Overall, this study provides stakeholders useful information for the quality of this fish species, contributing to food and nutritional security. © 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.