Development of Pangasius steaks by improved sous-vide technology and its process optimization

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Seafood Processing
• Food Preservation

Background:

• Ready-to-cook Pangasius steaks require improved shelf-life and quality.
• Sous-vide processing offers potential for enhanced seafood products.
• Antimicrobial hurdles like chitosan and spices can improve product stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize sous-vide processing conditions for ready-to-cook Pangasius steaks.
• To enhance the shelf-life and quality of Pangasius steaks using hurdle technology.
• To determine the optimal combination of chitosan and spices for improved stability.

Main Methods:

• Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with Box-Behnken design was employed.
• Independent variables included chitosan concentration, cooking time, and temperature.
• Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value was used as the dependent variable to assess oxidative stability.

Main Results:

• Optimal sous-vide conditions determined: 1.08% chitosan, 70.93°C, and 16.48 minutes.
• Predicted minimum TBARS value (oxidative stability indicator) was 0.855 mg MDA/Kg.
• A high correlation coefficient (R² = 0.975) validated the predictive model.

Conclusions:

• The optimized sous-vide process effectively enhances the shelf-life and quality of Pangasius steaks.
• Chitosan and spice combination provides significant antimicrobial and oxidative stability.
• This low-cost technology offers a viable alternative for Pangasius utilization in the processing industry.