Effect of chitosan edible coating on the quality of double filleted Indian oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps) during chilled storage

The effectiveness of edible chitosan coating (1 and 2%) on the quality changes of Indian oil sardine (Sardinella longiceps) in iced condition was assessed. The chitosan prepared in the study had higher degree of deacetylation (83%). Edible coating with chitosan was effective in inhibiting bacterial growth and reduced the formation of volatile bases and oxidation products significantly. The muscle pH increased with the storage period for all the samples. On the day of sensory rejection for untreated samples, the formation of total volatile base nitrogen and trimethylamine nitrogen was less by 14.9 and 26.1% for 1% chitosan treated sardine and 32.7 and 49% for 2% chitosan treated samples respectively. The chitosan coating improved the water holding capacity, drip loss and textural properties significantly compared to untreated sample. The eating quality was maintained up to ∼8 and 10 days for 1 and 2% chitosan treated sardine respectively, compared to only 5 days for untreated samples.