58-11 |
Field assessment of the applicability of Time Temperature Integrators (TTI) as quality monitors of chilled fish |
P. S. TAOUKIS1, K. Koutsoumanis2, H. Domvridou2, and G. J. Nychas2. (1) School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Iroon Polytechniou 5, Athens, 15780, Greece, (2) Department of Food Science and Technology, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, Athens, Greece The fraction of the microflora responsible for spoilage depends on intrinsic and extrinsic factors and is characteristic of fish species. Recognition and modelling of the growth of specific spoilage organisms (SSO) as a function of storage conditions allows shelf life prediction. Validated growth models and response kinetics of suitable Time Temperature Integrators (TTI) allows the correlation of TTI response to fish shelf life at any point of the chill chain. The validation of the applicability and reliability of TTI in an actual field application was the objective of this study. An intensive field test, involved monitoring of marine cultured chilled seabream (Sparus aurata) exported from Greece to Italy, during summer. Fish were packed in ten 10 kg styrofoam boxes with 3 TTIs and miniature electronic loggers, outside the box and inside at the coldest and the less cold spot. Fish reached final retail point after 120 h of refrigerated transport. TTI response was recorded at important stops of the itinerary. Based on the kinetics of the TTIs the effective temperature of the fish, for each time segment were calculated and through the validated spoilage kinetics of the seabream the “spent” shelf life at the check points and the remaining shelf life at the end of the chill chain was estimated. The latter ranged from 6 to 48 h for the less cold and the coldest spot of the packages. This was an acceptable conservative overestimation of the actual quality loss. Based on the actual temperature profile the remaining shelf life was 18 to 59 h. Parallel microbiological and sensory testing of the condition of the fish at the different points of monitoring verified the accuracy of the predictions. Based on predictions of kinetic models and respective quality measurements the value of TTI as monitoring tools was validated in the real fish chill chain.
Session 58, Food Engineering: Transport processes and kinetics
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