Appraising the shelf life of farmed cobia, Rachycentron canadum, by application of a quality index method.

Freshness is the main concern of seafood quality, and the principal method to evaluate seafood freshness is sensory evaluation. The aim of this work was to study the quality changes of cobia, Rachycentron canadum, under ice storage through sensory and physical analysis as well as bacterial counting of specific spoilage organisms (SSOs). In particular, the utilization of a quality index method (QIM) scheme was proposed. Samples stored for 0-30 d were analyzed with the QIM.

Fresh pasta enrichment with protein concentrate of tilapia: nutritional and sensory characteristics.

With the goal of developing and characterizing the nutritional and sensory aspects of fresh pasta supplemented with tilapia protein concentrate, four types of pasta were prepared, with inclusion of 0, 10, 20, or 30% of tilapia protein concentrate. Linear effects were observed (P < 0.01) in crude protein, total lipids, ash, carbohydrate, and caloric values; these parameters increased with increasing amounts of tilapia protein concentrate in the pasta. The concentration of Na, P, Ca, Mg, and Zn increased linearly (P < 0.01) in correlation with the increase in protein concentrate content, while Fe content decreased linearly (P < 0.01). In the sensory analysis, texture, overall impression, and the acceptance index demonstrated a cubic regression (P < 0.05), with the inclusion of 20% protein concentrate yielding the best scores. Including up to 30% of tilapia protein concentrate in pasta yields an increased nutritional value, but based on the sensory results, 20% of tilapia protein concentrate in pasta is the recommended maximum level.