Assessment of European cuttlefish ( Sepia officinalis, L.) nutritional value and freshness under ice storage using a developed Quality Index Method (QIM) and biochemical methods

• Published in: Food science & technology Vol. 42; no. 1; pp. 424 - 432
• Main Authors: Sykes, António V., Oliveira, Ana R., Domingues, Pedro M., Cardoso, Carlos M., Andrade, José P., Nunes, Maria L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cuttlefish; Fish and seafood industries; Food industries; Freshness; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Ice storage; Nitrogenous compounds; Nutritional value; Quality Index Method (QIM); Sepia officinalis; Freshness; Nitrogenous compounds; Nutritional value; Ice storage; Cuttlefish; Quality Index Method (QIM); Edible mollusc; Shellfish; Ice; Index; Method; Cephalopoda; Warehousing; Quality; Food preservation; Invertebrata; Mollusca
• ISSN: 0023-6438; 1096-1127
• DOI: 10.1016/j.lwt.2008.05.010

The aim of this study was to determine the nutritional value of adult commercial cuttlefish, to develop a Quality Index Method (QIM) scheme, and to evaluate the application of some biochemical methods commonly used for freshness assessment of fish under ice storage. Additionally, shelf-life was to be determined based on both QIM and suitable biochemical methods. The nutritional value of the cuttlefish mantle in the first 24
h and after 13 days was determined. Captured cuttlefish was composed (g/100
g) by 16.60
±
0.10
g protein, 0.09
±
0.01
g fat, 79.55
±
0.14
g moisture and 1.39
±
0.03
g of ash. After 13 days of ice storage, cuttlefish was composed (g/100
g) of 11.90
±
0.28
g protein, 0.17
±
0.09
g fat, 87.04
±
0.13
g moisture and 0.52
±
0.01
g of ash. Differences (
p
<
0.001) were found in protein, ash and moisture but not in fat (
p
>
0.05). These results seem to indicate that there is impregnation of the iced water into the mantle tissue promoting protein leaching with the melting ice. TVB-N and TMA-N displayed a similar increasing tendency, peaking beyond EEC regulations proposed maximum between the 9th and 10th days. The developed QIM scheme for cuttlefish was composed of 29 demerit points, divided into 4 attributes and 13 parameters. The calculated quality index (QI) evolved linearly with storage time in ice (QI
=
2.68
×
days in ice
−
0.61,
R
2
=
0.9866). Storage time could be estimated with an accuracy of
±
1 day, if five cuttlefish from each sample were included in the QIM assessment. The shelf-life was determined as 8
±
1 days by both type of methods (QIM and biochemical). However, the suitability of some biochemical methods to assess freshness need to be more thoroughly researched.