Limited microbial growth in Atlantic salmon packed in a modified atmosphere

• Published in: Food Control
• Main Authors: Milne, D, Powell, SM
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Sci Ltd 2014
• Subjects: Agricultural; Veterinary and Food Sciences; Food sciences; Food packaging; preservation and processing; Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2014.01.035; http://ecite.utas.edu.au/88870

This study examined the dynamics of microbial growth in fresh chilled Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar )packed in a modified atmosphere. Atlantic salmon were harvested, handled, transported, and processedunder optimal conditions to produce skinless fillet portions packed in pouches containing 96% CO 2 at gas:product ratios of greater than 5:1 (v/w) and stored for 38 days at less than 1 Celsius degree. Microbial analysis wasconducted using psychrotrophic and mesophilic plate counts and DNA-based techniques. Resultsrevealed initial microbial counts at day 0 of 10 2 CFU g -1 and sequences from the genera Luteimonas , Pseudorhodoferax , Aequorivita , Gillisia , Gramella , Micrococcus , Acidovorax and Achromobacter . An extendedlag phase was observed of 10 (psychrotrophic) or 15 (total) days with total plate count numbers reaching10 6 CFU g -1 after 21 (psychrotrophic) and 25 days (total) and stabilising at 10 8 CFU g -1 after 31 days. At31 days the microbial community was dominated by Pseudomonas spp. as determined by identification ofisolates and sequencing of a 16S rRNA gene clone library. No Photobacterium spp., including the specificspoilage organism Photobacterium phosphoreum , were identified during the study.