Postmortem biochemical and functional characteristic of Monterey sardine muscle stored at 0 degrees C

Postmortem changes of sardine muscle during 15 d storage at 0 degrees C were studied to evaluate its quality and functionality. No microbial deterioration was detected since trimethylamine and histamine concentration remained low with final values of less than or equal to 1.62 mg/100g and 0.00018 ppm, respectively. A final proteolytic activity less than or equal to 20 mu g Tyrosine/min/g protein was detected. Lipid oxidation from moderate to advanced was detected after day 5 with values of 31.8 to 33.9 meq/kg and 26 mg/kg for peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid value respectively. Muscle protein showed no gel-forming ability. Extraction of myofibrillar protein decreased 45% and 81% at day 5 and 15 respectively. Overall results indicated that good quality was maintained during the storage period with a final K value of 50.7% when proper handling practices were implemented.