Effect of Phenyllactic Acid Treatment on the Quality of Channel Catfish during Low Temperature Storage

Our aim was to study the effect of phenyllactic acid treatment on the quality of channel catfish during low temperature storage. Channel catfish was treated with phenyllactic acid (0.5, 1.5 or 2.5 g/100 mL) and stored at 4 ℃. The changes of total bacterial count (TBC), total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs) value, water-holding capacity (WHC), texture, color and sensory quality were analyzed. It was found that TBC, TVB-N content and TBARs value of channel catfish treated with phenyllactic acid were significantly lower than those of the control group, indicating that phenyllactic acid preserves the quality of channel catfish; the most pronounced effect was observed at 2.5 g/100 mL, but compared with the other concentration groups, little differences were found in pH, WHC, color and texture. In general, treatment with 2.5 g/100 mL phenyllactic acid can significantly prolong the shelf life of channel catfish during low temperature storage while having little effect on its physicochemical properties and sensory evaluation.