Abstract:
The effect of using static ice slurry, freshwater crushed ice, or refrigeration for preservation of fresh squid from the East China Sea was studied, in terms of sensory score, physicochemical properties, and microbial counts. After a 15-day preservation period the values of sensory scores, moisture content, pH, total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), total viable counts, elasticity, and chewiness of samples were as follows: 3.36, 77.42%, 7.65, >30 mg/100 g, 7.04 log CFU/g, 0.05 mm, and 0.06 MJ for refrigerated samples; 3.95, 78.33%, 7.23, >30 mg/100 g, 6.61 log CFU/g, 0.06 mm, and 0.10 MJ for samples stored in freshwater crushed ice; and 6.57, 84.78%, 6.64, 13.26 mg/100 g, 4.73 log CFU/g, 0.16 mm, and 0.16 MJ for samples stored in static ice slurry, respectively. The results show that (1) ice slurry conditions maintained the freshness and physicochemical properties of squid, which met food safety standards; (2) the preservation effect of ice slurry was significantly better than that of refrigeration and freshwater crushed ice. The results also showed that as compared to freshwater ice and refrigeration, ice slurry preservation significantly retards the spoilage rate and extends the shelf life of squid, thus helping to improve the quality of aquatic products during transportation and storage.
