Effect of air-conditioned packaging combined with temperature fluctuations on the preservation of mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi)

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of diverse packaging techniques on the moisture content, quality, microbiological profile and volatile compounds of mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) fillets. Mandarin fish fillets were packaged in accordance with three distinct conditions: AP (Air packaging), MAP 1 (40 % CO₂/45 % N₂/15 % O₂) and MAP 2 (50 % CO₂/35 % N₂/15 % O₂) and stored at TC (Constant temperature at 4 °C) and TF (Temperature fluctuation at 4 °C and 8 °C), respectively. Results demonstrated that MAP effectively inhibited microbial growth, retarded pH increase, and reduced accumulation of TVB-N, TMA, and MDA. On the 18th day, the constant-temperature MAP 2 group exhibited optimal preservation, with TVB-N (14.70 mg/kg), TMA (2.74 mg/kg), and MDA (38.36 mmol/mg) lower than those in the fluctuating-temperature AP group (TVB-N: 115.07 mg/kg; TMA: 2.81 mg/kg; MDA: 84.39 mmol/mg). It proved that temperature fluctuations accelerated the spoilage process of mandarin fish.