Extending the high quality shelf life of seafood products

Abstract

Most seafood in chill storage at 4 C will last only a few days. The shelf life of any seafood product is dependent on the initial levels of bacteria present. Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) technology can extend the shelf life of seafood. MAP is extensively applied to seafood in Europe and the United Kingdom. So far little interest has been shown by the Australian seafood industry yet it is already used extensively in Australia to package meat, poultry, pasta and fruit and vegetables. MAP uses a combination of carbon dioxide and other gases which is flushed into a pack containing the food. The pack is then sealed and the 'modified' atmosphere retards the growth of oxygen-loving spoilage bacteria.

The research project 'Extending the high quality life of seafood' funded by the Fisheries Research & Development Corporation (FRDC) and undertaken by the Centre for Food Technology shows that MAP technology can double the shelf life of fresh seafood under Australian conditions. The initial quality of the seafood must be high and contain low microbial counts for this to be achieved. The following recommendations are made based on the findings of this research.