Comparison of effects of slurry ice and flake ice pretreatments on the quality of aquacultured sea bream (Sparus aurata) and sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) stored at 4 °C

Slurry ice, a biphasic system consisting of small particles of spherical ice immersed in seawater at subzero temperature, was evaluated as a new chilled method for whole sea bream (Sparus aurata) and sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). Two types of different chilling methods were used for two species in this study; slurry ice-treated sea bream (Group A), slurry ice-treated sea bass (Group B), flake-ice treated sea bream (Group C) and flake ice-treated sea bass (Group D). The effects of this system on the quality and shelf life of these two species were evaluated. Mesophilic counts for sea bass exceeded 7 log cfu/g, which is considered the maximum level for acceptability for freshwater and marine fish after 13 days for Groups C, D and 15 days for Groups A, B. At day 13, TVB-N values of Groups C, D reached the legal limits (35 mg/100 g set for TVB-N) for consumption. According to the results of sensory analyses, up to day 13, all the Groups were determined as ‘acceptable’ but, on day 15, the Groups A, B, C, D were no longer acceptable. Using slurry ice pretreatment for 2 h before the storage period presumably caused the deleterious effect on appearance as well as salt and water uptake. According to the results of chemical and microbiological analyses, use of slurry ice pretreatment for 2 h extended the shelf life of sea bream and sea bass stored at 4 °C for only two days longer than did use of flake ice.