A Quality Index Method-based evaluation of sensory quality of red mullet (<em>Mullus barbatus</em>) and its shelf-life determination

Abstract

Every day the consumer must choose a food product rather than others based on its quality; for fishery products the main quality parameter is freshness. Implementation of the Quality Index Method (QIM) in the fish industry provides information on fish quality; therefore, it is important for effective quality and process management in the production of high-quality fish products. The present study aims to validate the shelf- life study of fresh red mullet (Mullus barbatus) stored in ice previously presented by Özyurt in 2009 through Torry scheme in cooked filet and microbiological evaluation. Next, this revised scheme was applied to determine the shelf-life. It included seven descriptors and varies from 0 to 15 points. The use of a modified QIM scheme showed a good correlation between the quality index and days of storage time, with a R2 value of 0.9698. In fact, all the subjects examined reached the end of their commercial life, or the day of sensory rejection, in 9-10 days with a Quality Index of 13.83.