Effect of applying crust-freezing after skin-packaging on the natural microflora of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) during storage at low temperatures

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of crust-freezing (CF) on fresh salmon fillets in skin-packaging during storage at −2.0°C. After CF, all treated samples and untreated controls were stored in a refrigerated cabinet for 20 d. Sampling was carried out at days 0, 2, 6, 8, 10, 14 and 20 in order to analyse total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) and levels of mesophilic and psychrophilic viable counts (MVC and PVC). Enterobacteriaceae (ENT), lactic acid bacteria (LAB), H2S-producing bacteria (SPB) and Pseudomonas spp. (PSE). No significant differences in TVB-N were found between samples except for those taken on day 20 where TVB-N levels of CF samples were lower than controls. Our results suggest that ENT might be the limiting microbial group to determine the end of shelf-life. Thus, if this group is used as an indicator of acceptability, the shelf-life of salmon can be extended from 8 to 20 d when skin-packed and then treated with CF.