Shelf life determination of frozen fish sausage produced with fillet and minced fish derived from the Nile tilapia processing

Abstract

In the food sector, a sustainable possibility for the fish industry is sausage production with minced fish. The aim of this study was to determine the shelf life of frozen fish sausage prepared with waste and fillets, produced from Nile tilapia filleting wastes, in order to establish the storage time of the new product. The shelf life of the product was determined during frozen storage at −10°C by a series of analysis at 15‐day intervals. The frozen storage had an effect on the chemical and physical characteristics of the final product. The nutritional and microbiological quality of the tilapia sausage was maintained within the recommended standards. The acceptance of the product was not compromised by the storage period. The shelf life of fish sausages made with wastes and fillets, ground, of Nile tilapia, under the work conditions described, can be ensured during 60 days of storage at −10°C.

Practical applications The relatively simple, low‐cost, and sustainable production of the minced fish and the certainty of the absence of bones make its use possible in emulsified products. Considering the fact that fish belongs to perishable foods, the main concern of the researchers and industries is their shelf life extension of the new product. However, information on the effect of frozen storage on the chemical, physical, microbiological, and sensory properties of the fish sausage produced from minced tilapia is limited. To reach this innovation, it is essential for the monitoring of the final product parameters over the frozen storage to establish the shelf life.