Influence of chilled and frozen storage on the stability of trout and herring fillet

Effects of chilled and frozen storage on specific enthalpy (ΔH) and transition temperature (Td) of protein denaturation as well as on selected functional properties of muscle tissue of rainbow trout and herring were investigated. The Td of myosin shifted from 39 to 33 °C during chilling of trout post mortem, but was also influenced by pH. Toughening during frozen storage of trout fillet was characterized by an increased storage modulus of a gel made from the raw fillet. Differences between long term and short term frozen stored, cooked trout fillet were identified by a compression test and a consumer panel. These changes did not affect the Td and ΔH of heat denaturation during one year of frozen storage at –20 °C. In contrast the Td of two myosin peaks of herring shifted during frozen storage at –20 °C to a significant lower value and overlaid finally. Myosin was aggregated by hydrophobic protein-protein interactions. Both thermal properties of myosin and chemical composition were sample specific for wild herring, but were relative constant for farmed trout samples over one year. Determination of Td was very precise (standard deviation <2 %) at a low scanning rate (≤ 0.25 K·min-1) and is useful for monitoring the quality of chilled and frozen stored trout and herring.

Texture measurement on gutted cod during storage in ice using a hand-held instrument

Fish muscle as food is to be seen as highly perishable. In unfrozen fish, freshness is considered the most important quality attribute. It is well known that there are several biochemical changes that can affect dramatically the texture of fish muscle. Immediately after death the fish texture is soft and elastic. In connection with rigor mortis the fish texture changes markedly. It becomes harder during rigor and after its resolution it becomes softer. This softness increases due to proteolysis during further storage at refrigerated conditions. Texture is a very important indicator for evaluating the quality of fish. Barroso et al. (1997) have recently reviewed mechanical methods in use for texture measurements on fresh fish. Further reviews on texture measurement performed on fish muscle were recently published underlining the importance of texture as quality attribute (Hyldig et al 2001, Coppes et al. 2002). The position along the fish can influence the results and was investigated by several authors (Sigurgis-ladottir et. al. 1999). Different methods have been compared for their ability to differentiate between recently killed salmon and salmon stored on ice for up to 24 days (Veland et al. 1999).

Detailed experimental iced-storage characteristics of Barents Sea cod (Gadus morhua)

Im August 1997 wurde an Bord des FFS „Walther Herwig“ ein Eislagerversuch mit Kabeljau aus der Barebtssee durchgeführt. Die Fische wurden in täglichem Abstand auf ihre chemischen, physikalischen, sensorischen und mikrobiologischen Eigenschaften hin untersucht. Die analytischen Daten wurden jeweils mit den Tagen in Eis korreliert. Es erwies sich, daß die Werte vom Fischtester VI sowie RT Frischetester, von Dimethylamin- und Trimethylaminoxidstickstoff, die Qualitätseinstufung anhand des EUQualitätsbewertungsschemas, die sensorische Bewertung von gegarten Filetproben und die Gesamtkeimzahl auf der Haut am besten mit den im Eis verbrachten Tagen korrelierten. Die guteKorrelation zwischen sensorischen und instrumentell ermittelten Daten läßt in gewissem Umfang einen Ersatz von Sensorikdaten durch instrumentell ermittelten zu.

The effect of traditional handling, processing and storage methods on the quality of dried fish in small scale fisheries in Nigeria

Most of the fish marketed throughout Nigeria are in either smoked or dried form. The technological requirement for other forms of preservation like chilling and freezing cannot be afforded by the small scale fisher folk. Considerable quantities of fish processed for distant consumer markets are lost at handling, processing, storage and marketing stages. Significant losses occur through infestation by mites, insects, fungal infestation and fragmentation during transportation. This paper attempts to describe the effect of these losses on fish quality and suggests methods of protecting fish from agents of deterioration

Storage potential and utilization of tilapia mince

Production of mince from Tilapia using a combination of physical and chemical methods was found to improve the storage life of the mince in the deep freezer. Though the chemical composition of the mince was slightly affected, the mince was microbiologically stable throughout the five weeks frozen storage. Fish cakes prepared traditionally from tilapia minces were more acceptable than oven dried cakes. Production of fish cakes form tilapia will improve utilization of this species in areas where small size tilapia are regarded as fish of low economic value

A preliminary investigation into the effect of different storage methods on the keeping quality of smoked Oreochromis niloticus

The study was carried out to asses the nutritional qualities of smoked O. niloticus and to discover the best methods of storage to minimize spoilage and infestation of smoked fish. Result showed that the protein contents in A and D decreased while the protein contents of b and C increased. The lipid content increased only in A while it decreased in B-C and D. The moisture content generally increased over the period of storage and there was an increase in ash content only in C while it decreased in A, B and D. The samples packed in polythene bag suffered about 35% mould infection and a few were attached by rodents with some fouling. Samples packed in jute bag were in good condition but were slightly attached by insect. All samples packed in carton and basket were still in good state but there were insect attack in those packed in carton

Effect of locally available spices on the organoleptic and storage periods of Heterotis niloticus

Investigation were carried out on the effect of some locally available species in the enhancement of the organoleptic quality and the storage periods of smoked Heterotis niloticus using Pprosopis africana as common smoke sources. Samples of fresh H. niloticus were bought, cut into chunks while extract juice from pepper, ginger rhizomes, garlic, onion bulb were used as sources of spices. Samples of fish were divided randomly into five (5) batches dipped into spice extract juices for 10 minutes drained and smoked with common firewood. Treatment without spice extract juice served as control. Each batch of fish was smoked for 7 hours on a drum-made smoking kiln products were individually packaged in polythene bag stored at room temperature and used for sensory evaluation and microbial analysis. Results of the sensory evaluation indicated that there was significant difference (P<0.005) for taste, appearance, colour and overall acceptance for the treatments. Ginger juice extract had the best overall acceptance. Similarly there was significant difference (P>0.05) in the microbial analysis. The garlic juice extract had the longest storage period with minimum total plate and mould count after 8 weeks

Management of Biesboch reservoirs for quality control with special reference to eutrophication

The three Biesbosch Reservoirs are pumped storage reservoirs, fed with rather polluted and highly eutrophic water from the River Meuse. Air injection at the bottom of the reservoirs prevents thermal stratification, which would otherwise result in serious water quality deterioration. Reservoir mixing also serves as an economic algal control measure; mixing over sufficient depth causes light to play the role of limiting factor and this, combined with zooplankton grazing, keeps the biomass of phytoplankton at acceptable levels. Special problems are caused by benthic, geosmin-producing Oscillatoria species growing on the inner embankment. Rooting up the bottom with a harrow is used as the method of control, based on underwater observations by biological staff trained as SCUBA-divers. With regard to pollutant behaviour the three reservoirs act as a series of fully mixed reactors. This enables the application of kinetic models to describe their behaviour and allows the use of a selective intake policy, e.g. for suspended solids with associated contaminants, ammonia and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. A combination of selective intake and self- purification processes - enhanced by the compartmentalisation of the storage volume in three reservoirs - leads to a striking improvement for many water-quality parameters.

Contribution à l'étude des modifications hydro-sédimentaires consécutives à la réouverture artificielle de l'embouchure du Comoé à Grand-Bassam

The Bassam artificial inlet was opened (in September 22, 1987) in order to revacuate offshore invasive aquatic plants. This has considerably modified the hydro-sedimentary environment of the lagoonal domain at Grand-Bassam. Tidal currents effect has confered the lagoonal waters an estuarine feature, the saline intrusion (25-35%o) increased beyond the Moossou bridges up to the confluence of the Comoe river. This has led to a cleaning of the river lower course and above all to the bottoms of the lagoon, which were previously confined. The remobilization of mud (from lagoonal bottoms around Bouet Island) evacuated offshore, has exposed lagoonal and oceanic sandy features. This new system remains fragile, with the seasonal (low river-flow) clogging.

Caractérisation des situations hydro-biologiques et potentialités de pêche thonière au Cap Lopez en Juin et Juillet 1972 et 1974

Surface temperature was measured by remote sensing through Cape Lopez (Gulf of Guinea) frontal region during the fishing season in June and July 1972 and 1974. Twelve typical situations are analysed through four main directions: surface situation, tendency, hydrobiological structure and availability to fisheries. The tuna behavior is analysed in relation with the frontal zone movements and a mechanism which tends to aggregate important shoals of tunas is presented.

Saline-saturated DMSO-EDTA as a storage medium for microbial DNA analysis from coral mucus swab samples

The mucus surface layer of corals plays a number of integral roles in their overall health and fitness. This mucopolysaccharide coating serves as vehicle to capture food, a protective barrier against physical invasions and trauma, and serves as a medium to host a community of microorganisms distinct from the surrounding seawater. In healthy corals the associated microbial communities are known to provide antibiotics that contribute to the coral’s innate immunity and function metabolic activities such as biogeochemical cycling. Culture-dependent (Ducklow and Mitchell, 1979; Ritchie, 2006) and culture-independent methods (Rohwer, et al., 2001; Rohwer et al., 2002; Sekar et al., 2006; Hansson et al., 2009; Kellogg et al., 2009) have shown that coral mucus-associated microbial communities can change with changes in the environment and health condition of the coral. These changes may suggest that changes in the microbial associates not only reflect health status but also may assist corals in acclimating to changing environmental conditions. With the increasing availability of molecular biology tools, culture-independent methods are being used more frequently for evaluating the health of the animal host. Although culture-independent methods are able to provide more in-depth insights into the constituents of the coral surface mucus layer’s microbial community, their reliability and reproducibility rely on the initial sample collection maintaining sample integrity. In general, a sample of mucus is collected from a coral colony, either by sterile syringe or swab method (Woodley, et al., 2008), and immediately placed in a cryovial. In the case of a syringe sample, the mucus is decanted into the cryovial and the sealed tube is immediately flash-frozen in a liquid nitrogen vapor shipper (a.k.a., dry shipper). Swabs with mucus are placed in a cryovial, and the end of the swab is broken off before sealing and placing the vial in the dry shipper. The samples are then sent to a laboratory for analysis. After the initial collection and preservation of the sample, the duration of the sample voyage to a recipient laboratory is often another critical part of the sampling process, as unanticipated delays may exceed the length of time a dry shipper can remain cold, or mishandling of the shipper can cause it to exhaust prematurely. In remote areas, service by international shipping companies may be non-existent, which requires the use of an alternative preservation medium. Other methods for preserving environmental samples for microbial DNA analysis include drying on various matrices (DNA cards, swabs), or placing samples in liquid preservatives (e.g., chloroform/phenol/isoamyl alcohol, TRIzol reagent, ethanol). These methodologies eliminate the need for cold storage, however, they add expense and permitting requirements for hazardous liquid components, and the retrieval of intact microbial DNA often can be inconsistent (Dawson, et al., 1998; Rissanen et al., 2010). A method to preserve coral mucus samples without cold storage or use of hazardous solvents, while maintaining microbial DNA integrity, would be an invaluable tool for coral biologists, especially those in remote areas. Saline-saturated dimethylsulfoxide-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (20% DMSO-0.25M EDTA, pH 8.0), or SSDE, is a solution that has been reported to be a means of storing tissue of marine invertebrates at ambient temperatures without significant loss of nucleic acid integrity (Dawson et al., 1998, Concepcion et al., 2007). While this methodology would be a facile and inexpensive way to transport coral tissue samples, it is unclear whether the coral microbiota DNA would be adversely affected by this storage medium either by degradation of the DNA, or a bias in the DNA recovered during the extraction process created by variations in extraction efficiencies among the various community members. Tests to determine the efficacy of SSDE as an ambient temperature storage medium for coral mucus samples are presented here.

Quantifying global terrestrial carbon influx and storage as stimulated by an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration

EXTRACT (SEE PDF FOR FULL ABSTRACT): Measurements of spatial and temporal distributions of carbon dioxide concentration and carbon-13/carbon-12 ratio in the atmosphere suggest a strong biospheric carbon sink in terrestrial ecosystems. Quantifying the sink, however, has become an enormous challenge for Earth system scientists because of great uncertainties associated with biological variation and environmental heterogeneity in the ecosystems. This paper presents an approach that uses two driving parameters to bound terrestrial carbon sequestration associated with an increase in carbon dioxide concentration.

Faecal indicator organisms in frozen prawn products. Pt. 2. Survival of the organisms during freezing and frozen storage

The rate of survival of different types of faecal indicator organisms like Escherichia coli, enterococci etc. during freezing and frozen storage has been studied. Peeled and deveined prawns inoculated with a mixed culture of the above organisms were subjected to freezing and storage at -10̊F and examined for over four months.

Effect of aureomycin on the behaviour of certain free amino acids in oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps) held in ice storage

The course of development of a few free amino acids under the influence of aureomycin in oil sardine (Sardinella lingiceps) held in ice storage was investigated. The levels of leucines and valine regularly increased in the control and aureomycin treated fush throughout the storage period. Alanines and threonine showed similar trend in both control and fish treated with 20ppm aureomycin. These amino acids however showed a gradual fall in fish treated at 5 ppm level. The changes in tyrosine+tryptophane were found to be irregular. Most of the amino acids studied indicated a remarkable change in trend by about the 16th day of ice storage in the case of fish treated with 50ppm aureimycin.