UTILISING FISH GELATIN, NATURAL ANTIMICROBIALS AND BROMELAIN TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND SHELF-LIFE OF FISHERY PRODUCTS

Abstract

To relieve the environmental burdens caused by food processing wastes, fish skins, crab shells and pineapple stems were used to extract byproducts, such as fish gelatin, chitosan, and bromelain. These byproducts were applied in fishery products to improve the quality and shelf-life. The results showed that composite gelatin/chitosan and gelatin/tea polyphenol edible coatings inhibited bacteria contamination, maintained protein structure and physicochemical properties, thus extending the shelf-life of fish fillets during cold storage. For fish balls, fish gelatin addition increased the mass transfer coefficient by increasing the moisture content and decreasing the nutrient loss during thermal processing. Moreover, bromelain was applied to local Golden Pomfret to produce fish balls with improved texture and flavour. The enzyme kinetic model of bromelain on myofibril hydrolysis was also studied. This study furthers the understanding on the functions and applications of food processing byproducts and contributes to the sustainability of fish processing.