Pretreatment and Non-thermal Processing Technologies for Quality Maintenance and Shelf-life Extension of Seafoods

Abstract

The seafood industry faces significant challenges in preserving the quality and extending the shelf-life of its products to meet the demands of consumers for fresh, safe, and nutritious seafood. Apart from traditional pretreatments such as washing, sorting, and deheading, several emerging technologies like ozonized water (OW), acidic electrolyzed water (AEW), and plasma-activated water (PAW) have drawn attention for seafood industry. These innovative technologies not only improve quality of seafood but also effectively reduce contaminated microorganisms and enzymatic activity, thereby delaying spoilage. Furthermore, non-thermal processing technologies, including high pressure processing (HPP), cold plasma (CP) treatment, and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), offer promising alternatives to conventional heat-based processes. These technologies are characterized by their ability to inactivate microorganisms and enzymes, while preserving the sensory attributes and nutritional value of seafood. HPP and MAP particularly have demonstrated their profound ability to extend the shelf-life of seafood products without compromising their quality or sensorial attributes. Furthermore, the synergistic effects of combining pretreatment and non-thermal processing techniques, have potential to prolong shelf-life and improve safety of seafood products. Thus, the integration of these pretreatments and technologies offers a promising avenue for enhancing the quality and safety of seafood products.