Effect of pulse light on the quality of refrigerated (4?C) large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea)

This study mainly analyzed the changes of quality of large yellow croaker treated by pulsed light during storage at 4 degrees C by studying TVC, TVB-N, TBARS, color, texture, sensory evaluation and volatile substances. The large yellow croaker was treated with different intensities (100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 J/pulse) of PL for 30 pulses. The results showed that the initial sterilization efficiency of 300 J/pulse PL group could reach to 86.27 +/- 4.32%. And the TVB-N and TBARS increased at a slower rate in the 300 J/pulse group compared to the control group during storage. Furthermore, the L* and a* color parameters of 300 J/pulse group decreased more slowly than the control group. Besides that, the texture and the sensory evaluation score were also better than control group at the same storage time. The shelf life of large yellow croaker could be extended by 2-3 days after PL treatment. However, the 500 J/pulse PL group had increased lipid oxidation and resulted in some sulfur and metallic odor. To sum up, the PL technology presented the potential effect to improve the shelf life of large yellow croaker, but it is necessary to further optimize the processing conditions of PL.