Physicochemical parameters of pasta enriched with tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) flour were investigated. Five formulations were prepared with different concentrations of tilapia flour as partial substitute of wheat flour: pasta without tilapia flour (PTF0%), pasta with 6% (PTF6%), 12% (PTF12%), 17% (PTF17%), and 23% (PTF23%) of tilapia flour. The formulations were assessed for proximate composition, fatty acid and amino acid profile on day 1 whereas, instrumental color parameters (L*, a* and b* values), pH, water activity (a_w), and lipid and protein oxidation were evaluated on days 1, 7, 14, and 21 of storage at 25°C. Fortification with tilapia flour increased (p < 0.05) protein, lipid, ash, total essential amino acids, and total polyunsaturated fatty acids contents. In addition, supplementation of pasta with tilapia flour decreased (p < 0.05) lightness and water activity while redness, yellowness, pH values, and lipid oxidation were increased (p < 0.05) in a level-dependent manner. Nevertheless, all formulations were exhibited storage stability at 25°C. In general, protein oxidation was greater (p < 0.05) in the pasta containing 12%, 17%, and 23% of tilapia flour than their counterparts, and the storage promoted an increase (p < 0.05) on the carbonyl content in all formulations. Thus, pasta with 6% of tilapia flour has the potential to be a technological alternative to food industry for the nutritional enrichment of traditional pasta with negligible negative effects on the chemical stability of the final product during 21 days at 25°C.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different packaging systems on the shelf life of refrigerated ground beef. The ground beef samples were packaged as follows: AA (100% ambient air), 90O₂:10CO₂ (90% O₂ and 10% CO₂), 80O₂:20CO₂ (80% O₂ and 20% CO₂), 70O₂:30CO₂ (70% O₂ and 30% CO₂), 60O₂:40CO₂ (60% O₂ and 40% CO₂), 50O₂:50CO₂ (50% O₂ and 50% CO₂), 100O₂ (100% O₂), and VP (vacuum packaging). All treatments were analyzed daily for O₂ and CO₂ levels, pH, filtration time, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), aerobic mesophilic heterotrophic bacteria (AMHB), and aerobic psychrotrophic heterotrophic bacteria (APHB) over 20 days at 2 °C. All MAP systems had a decrease of O₂ and an increase of CO₂ levels during storage period (p < 0.05). Overall, the MAP systems were similarly able to decrease the pH and retard the increase of TVB-N and filtration time over the storage period (p > 0.05). Moreover, the MAP systems increased the lag phase and/or the generation time of both AMHB and APHB, extending the shelf life by 3 (90O₂:10CO₂), 4 (70O₂:30CO₂ and 100O₂), and 5 days (80O₂:20CO₂, 60O₂:40CO₂, 50O₂:50CO_2, and VP). All MAP systems were equally effective in retarding physicochemical degradation; however, 80O₂:20CO₂, 60O₂:40CO₂, 50O₂:50CO_2, and VP were the most effective in impairing bacterial growth and extending the shelf life of ground beef stored under refrigeration.

This study evaluated the influence of good manufacturing practices (GMP) on the shelf life of refrigerated fillets of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) packed in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and irradiated. In a first series of experiments, 120 tilapia fillets kept under controlled sanitary conditions were purchased from a fish market managed by a cooperative. A second lot totaling 200 tilapia fillets was obtained under controlled storage conditions from a pilot plant. The combined effects of MAP (40% CO₂ and 60% N₂) and irradiation (1.5 kGy) were investigated by monitoring physical and chemical (total volatile bases and pH), bacteriological (aerobic heterotrophic mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria) and sensory (acceptance test) changes in the samples. The quality of samples decreased with storage time regardless of the treatment, remaining higher in fillets produced in the pilot plant in comparison with the commercially produced fillets. The observed shelf life of nonirradiated commercially produced fillets was only 3 days, compared to 8 days for those produced in the pilot plant, probably due to GMP in the latter. It was concluded that, even with a combination of proven conservation methods for meats, the adoption of good manufacturing practices still remains essential before, during, and after the filleting process in order to ensure the effectiveness of the entire treatment.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the chemical quality parameters regarding frozen Pangasius hypophthalmus specimens from Vietnam. The proximate composition, pH, ammonia, biogenic amines (BAs), total mercury (Hg), malondialdehyde (MDA), and polyphosphate were determined. The moisture, protein, lipid and ash values were between 83.83–85.59, 12.51–14.52, 1.09–1.65, and 0.76–2.38 g 100 g⁻¹, respectively. Fraud by excessive polyphosphate addition was detected in 30% of the samples whereas Hg above the recommended limit was observed in 50% of the samples. With regard to compounds from the degradation process, low concentrations of individual BAs and pH values were found in this study and ranged from 5.88 to 6.18, except for samples with polyphosphate >1 g 100⁻¹ (pH > 7.00) were observed in the present study. However, ammonia concentration indicated that a degradation process initiated in 80% of the samples (0.12–0.34 NH₃ g⁻¹) and 20% of the samples (1.87–1.94 μg NH₃ g⁻¹) were in an advanced deterioration process. Furthermore, MDA values (1.21–7.88 mg kg⁻¹) suggested some failures, mainly during transportation and/or storage. We concluded that quality control measures must be implemented on the Pangasius production chain to improve the quality of products provided to consumers worldwide.

Both the worldwide demand for fish and aquaculture production have increased. Nevertheless, an extensive amount of fish production is destined for animal feed. Fish represents a rich source of nutrients necessary for good health, but it is highly perishable. This review contains descriptions of the relevance of the use of mechanically separated fish meat, which is considered a waste processing, for the manufacturing of semi- and ready-to-eat (RTE) products for human consumption and an evaluation of their chemical stability. Currently, consumers request nontraditional foods without risk to their health. Therefore, the development of innovative and healthy foods has been a challenge, mainly due to lack of knowledge and technology transfer to the industry.