Sensory quality of whole chilled siberian sturgeon during storage

The Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) is a fish species that is of great interest among consumers due to its high sensory properties. This species is also interesting for fish farmers because of the fact that it is relatively easy to breed, it grows fast and it is relatively resistant to diseases. Due to its chemical composition and high presence of polyunsaturated fatty acids fish meat is generally highly susceptible to lipid degradation and spoilage. 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. Shelf life and sensory quality parameters of sturgeon are not well studied and there is only a few data. 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 present study has been carried out to investigate the sensory quality of chilled sturgeon during 7 days. Whole fish were stored in ice for a period of 7 days from the time of harvest according to good manufacturing practice. Descriptive sensory evaluation was performed. The sensory quality of fresh sturgeon stored in ice was judged by a sensory panel. Sensory assessments of the whole raw fish and of the cooked fish meat were conducted at first, third, sixth and seventh day. According to sensory evaluation it can be concluded that chilled sturgeon is acceptable for use six days after harvesting. Future experiments are needed for optimization the self-life of sturgeon. Proper temperature control and handling and hygiene are main tools for extend shelf life.