Fish quality assessment with ion mobility based gas detector

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Fisheries Science

Background:

• Assessing fish freshness is crucial for food safety and quality.
• Traditional methods for fish freshness evaluation include microbial counts, K-value, Torrymeter scores, and sensory evaluation.
• Volatile compounds in fish tissues are indicators of spoilage and freshness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the freshness of vendace (Coregonus albula L.) using the measurement of extractable volatile compounds from gills.
• To assess the utility of the MGD-1 gas detector, based on ion mobility distribution (IMCELL technique), for fish freshness evaluation.
• To compare the results obtained from the ion mobility distribution technique with traditional reference methods.

Main Methods:

• Hexane extracts of vendace gills were analyzed using the MGD-1 gas detector.
• The MGD-1 detector measures ion mobility distribution (IMCELL technique) of volatile compounds.
• Samples were analyzed over a 7-day storage period, with reference methods including microbial counts, K-value, Torrymeter scores, and sensory evaluation.

Main Results:

• Ion mobility distribution profiles of vendace gills changed significantly during the 7-day storage period.
• The findings from the ion mobility distribution technique correlated well with traditional reference methods for freshness evaluation.
• Seasonal differences in fish freshness were observed, likely due to variations in microbial flora.

Conclusions:

• The MGD-1 gas detector, utilizing ion mobility distribution, is a viable tool for assessing vendace freshness.
• This technique provides a new analytical method for food quality assessment.
• Seasonal variations influence fish freshness, highlighting the need for context-specific quality assessments.