Factors affecting the shelf life of fresh fish

Abstract

Fish is an important part of healthy nutrition. The main problem is the fact that fish is highly perishable. It is known that shelf life of different fish species depends on variety of factors such as their chemical composition, especially lipid content, season, harvest area and hygiene during handling and storage. In spite of expansion and progress of numerous chemical and microbiological tests in order to determine the spoilage indicators of fish meat, sensory assessment is still the most important for determination quality and shelf life of fish and fish products. The main symptoms of fish spoilage are off-odours and off-flavours and their development frequently occur simultaneously with the presence of high numbers of microorganisms. The application of good manufacturing practices, standard sanitary operations and hygienic handling are important in order to minimize the spoilage of fish and to enhance shelf life. Proper temperature control and handling and hygiene are main tools for extend shelf life.