Abstract

Introduction: Sensory quality characteristics of fish are very important factors in the acceptance and market value of the product. Quality assessment of fish should be precise, fast, systematic and comprehensive regarding freshness attributes. Aim: The objectives of this study were to describe weather the QIM (Quality Index Method) scheme for salmonides can be used to determine the freshness and describe the sensory changes during storage. Methods: Quality assessment of the fresh water rainbow trout (n=36) was performed on day 1,7,14 and 21 of ice storage on temperatures from 0.6-0.8 ˚C. Results: Through the QIM scheme the specific freshness attribute deterioration can be very well described and the QIM score produced a clear result, which showed that the deterioration of fish is linear and has a strong correlation with the time of storage (R² = 0.966). The QIM scheme for farmed salmon can be used to evaluate the freshness of the rainbow trout. It can also be used to ascertain and predict the remaining shelf life of rainbow trout stored in ice. Under similar conditions, the maximal shelf life of ungutted rainbow trout is 14 ± 2 days or 15 demerit points of framed salmon QIM scheme.

Key words: Rainbow trout, Sensory quality, Shelf life, Ice storage, Quality Index Method.