Storage life of croaker(<i>Pseudotholitus senegalensis</i>)in ice and ambient temperature

Abstract

Storage life of croaker (Pseudotolithus senegalensis) was 20 days in ice and 12 hrs at ambient temperature. Rejection of the raw fish by a five-member taste panel was for strong fishy to sour odours and soft texture. Cooked samples were rejected based on sour and
ammoniacal faecal odours with mushy texture. The predominant flavour was bitterness. The initial bacterial load we. Predominantly masophilic in nature and included Micrococcus, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Coryneforms, Flavobacterium, Alteromonas putrefaciens and Enterobacteria. Bacterial counts were within the range 106 - 110 on rejection and the principal spoilage organisms were Pseudomonas sp and Alteromonas putrefaciens during iced storage while Bacillus sp, Pseudomonas sp, Alteromonas putrefaciens and Proteus dominated the spoilage flora at ambient temperature. TMA and TVN proved to be reliable quality indices during ambient storage while their reliability as quality indices during ice storage was questioned