Effect of Vacuum Packaging on Shelf-life and Bacteria Counts of Iced Skin-on Tilapia and Hybrid Catfish Fillets

Abstract

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effect of vacuum packaging and air packaging(control) on shelf-life and quantities of bacteria associated with quality and safety of skin-on tilapia and hybridcatfish fillets including psychrotrophic bacteria, mesophilic bacteria, coliforms, Salmonella spp., Vibrio cholerae,and Staphylococcus aureus during the storage period of 20 days in ice. Salmonella spp. and V. cholerae were notfound in all samples. Vacuum packaging effectively reduced psychrotrophic bacteria, mesophilic bacteria, andcoliforms. However, it did not affect S. aureus, and did not promote growth of anaerobic bacteria compared to the airpacked control sample. Shelf-life of the vacuum packed skin-on tilapia and hybrid catfish fillets determined by thepopulation of psychrotrophic bacteria was extended by 30% (from 10 to 13 days) and 33% (from 12 to 16 days),respectively.