Use of nylon net packing to increase the survival time of cultured mussels

Abstract

Mussels survive a few days after harvesting, limiting the trade of these animals when alive. The study evaluated the effect of nylon net packing on the survival and shelf life of Perna perna mussels farmed in Brazil. Thirty samples containing 10 or 11 market-size mussels were stored in an incubator at 4°C for four days, half packed with nylon netting and the other half maintained within opened containers. The experiment analyzed the following parameters daily: survivorship, intervalvar fluid loss, total volatile bases, pH, and mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria counts. By the end of the assay, chemical and microbiological parameters were all acceptable for human consumption. All packed mussels survived up to the second day of storage, while the control group recorded an average survival of 29.7% in the same period. Packed mussels survive longer, probably because the tight net prevents animals from losing liquid by maintaining their shell valves closed during storage. This packaging method extends the shelf life of live products and improves the potential trading live mussels to consumer centers far from marine farms.