Impact of Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Shelf Life of Ready-to-Cook Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Fish Balls

Abstract

The effects of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the shelf life of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fish balls during refrigerated storage (4°C) were investigated for 20 days. The moisture, protein, lipid, and carbohydrate contents of the fish balls were 61.60%, 13.61%, 6.62%, and 14.13%, respectively. The pH, total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) of the tilapia fish ball samples during storage under control and MAP packaging were within acceptable limits. On the other hand, the aerobic plate count (APC) of tilapia fish balls gradually increased from the initial value of 4.37±0.04 on day 0 to 7.91±0.45 log CFU/g on 20th day for the not sealed pack (control). Significantly lower APC values (p<0.05) were observed on the 16th and 20th days in MAP-3 packaging compared with other packaging methods. The APCs exceeded 7 log CFU/g, which is considered the upper acceptable limit for fresh and frozen fish, on approximately the 14th day for the control, the 18th day for MAP-1, the 17th day for MAP-2, and the 20th day for MAP-3, respectively. Based on bacterial counts, the shelf life was determined to be 14 days for the control, 18 days for MAP-1, 17 days for MAP-2, and 20 days for MAP-3, respectively. Therefore, MAP is a good option for increasing the shelf life of fishery products, which supermarkets can adopt to display their products with an extended shelf life.