In this study, the shelf-life of scallop skirt sausages stored at different temperatures was studied, and changes in the pH, sensory scores, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and total bacterial count during storage were determined. The results showed that the pH values and sensory scores declined with storage time-the higher the storage temperature, the greater the rate of change. TVB-N values increased with storage time; therefore, with an increase in the storage temperature, the change was more prominent. The total bacterial count increased with storage time-the higher the storage temperature, the higher the rate of change. This conformed to the first-order kinetics model. The dynamic model of the total bacterial count was established. All correlation coefficients of the Arrhenius equation and the first-order (chemical reaction) kinetic equation were greater than 0.9, showing a high goodness of fit. It was verified that the relative error of the expected shelf-life and the actual shelf-life was within 5%. Therefore, the shelf-life of scallop skirt sausages was predictable as per the total bacterial count. In this study, the shelf-life of scallop skirt sausages was predicted in a short time with the help of accelerated shelf-life testing.
